Issue - meetings

To receive a briefing paper detailing the Council’s approach to empty homes.

The Group had before it, and NOTED, a briefing paper * from the Lead Officer for Private Sector Housing. The Officer was new in post and was introduced to the Group by the Public Health and Professional Services Manager. The contents of the report were summarised with an emphasis placed on how the work in this area related to the Corporate Plan. A lot of progress had been made in the last 6 months in terms of trying to identify those empty homes needing regeneration which were currently having an adverse effect on communities.

Discussion took place regarding:

·         The dispersement of neglected empty properties across the district, they were not all concentrated in the larger towns.

·         The importance of Ward Member involvement since they were best placed to know their own ‘patch’.

·         A range of enforcement options which were within ‘the tool kit’.

It was AGREED that a list of known empty properties be sent to Ward Members on a quarterly basis providing that personal data had been removed.

Note: * Briefing paper previously circulated; copy attached to the signed minutes.