Raising Awareness of Empty Homes •Ensure that information about the Empty Homes plan and procedures are available on the Council Web pages Oct-2016 Housing Adaptations and Improvements Team / Housing Development Team Empty Property Delivery Plan document to be linked to the Councils'' Housing web page • Utilise the Councils' membership of the West of England Empty Property Group Ongoing Housing Adaptations and Improvements Team / Housing Development Team Promote the groups' No Use Empty West Web site and Factsheets to provide information about Empty Homes work, services carried out and processes involved by NSC and neighbouring authorities; • Maintain accurate database of Empty Properties Ongoing Housing Adaptations and Improvements Team / Business Support Utilise data provided by Council Tax and reports from members of the public to record empty properties and the actions and interventions made by all departments; • Use the database to prioritise and action the top 10 Long Term Empty Properties Ongoing Housing Adaptations and Improvements Team / Business Support Cases prioritised based on an agreed formula that takes account of the type of property, its' condition, length of time empty, number of complaints received, social impact, statutory notices served, debt history; • Ensure that where possible, the council maximise efficiency by identifying tasks relating to Empty Properties that could be undertaken by council officers working in the community; Ongoing Inter Departmental To assist in inspecting / photographing / evidencing an empty property, providing the use of officer time is cost effective and does not impede upon officers carrying out their normal duties; Make Best Use of Resources • Continue to explore opportunities for external funding to help support empty homes projects; Ongoing Housing Development Team To seek funding from HCA, EDF (Hinkley Point C) to fund schemes that will bring empty homes back into use;
• Secure partnership from a Registered Provider to provide a leasing service to owners; Oct-16 Housing Development Team To secure the partnership of a Registered Provider, underpinned by a service level agreement, that will clearly set out the relationship between the RP and NSC and how it will help meet the needs of applicants on the Homechoice register and provide a high standard leasing service to owners; • Explore opportunities from the private sector to offer short term letting solution to owners; Jan-17 Housing Development Team To seek private sector organisations who offer short term letting solutions and signpost these to owners of empty properties who are reluctant to commit to longer term arrangements (e.g. Property Guardianship) • Early intervention with new owners or Empty Properties Aug-16 CT Revenues Team / Housing Development Team Include information on the options and services available to owners of empty homes in initial correspondence sent to them by Council Tax; • Continue to routinely Contact and Survey owners of homes that have been empty for 6 months + Ongoing Business Support / Housing Adaptations and Improvements Team Write to Owners explaining the Councils' Offer of help, assistance and guidance to enable them to overcome the reasons why their property is empty. This will include advice on:- Improvement Loans; Leasing to a Registered Provider; Planning and Building Control issues; VAT reduction for works to empty homes; the Councils' tenant finding scheme; Energy Efficiency advice; potential purchasers interested in empty properties; See Below
• Improve the uptake of home improvement loans to assist with the repair of empty properties; Ongoing Housing Adaptations and Improvements Team Help owners access home improvement loans to assist with the repair of empty properties; • Advise and assist owners who have expressed an interest in leasing their properties to a partner Registered Provider Oct-2016 Housing Development Team Refer owners to the Private Sector Lease Scheme; • Advise owners of properties empty for more than 2 years of possible VAT Reduced rating for works to empty properties; Ongoing Housing Adaptations and Improvements Team Refer owners to current HMRC information about reduced rating for renovation of empty properties and provide owners with verification of the length of time the property has been empty; Engagement with Owners • Assist owners of long term empty properties with access to free Building Regulation advice Ongoing Building Control Team Ensure that owners are provided with access to free timely advice from Building Control in connection with the repair. improvement , conversion or redevelopment of empty properties; • Assist owners of long term empty properties with access to free pre application Planning Advice; Ongoing Development Control Team Ensure that the owners of long term empties have access to free pre application planning advice where repairs, alterations, conversions redevelopment of an empty property may require planning consent; •Assist owners of long term empty properties on steps required to become a landlord Ongoing Housing Adaptations and Improvements Team Provide help and advice to owners with little or no experience of renting properties, on energy efficiency, the relevant local standards and statutory requirements for letting a property within the district;
• Develop a 'Compulsory Purchase Order' procedure for empty homes; Nov-16 Housing Adaptations and Improvements Team / Housing Development Team Utilise learning from the progression of current CPO cases to develop a procedure that will assist the timely progression of future cases; • Develop an 'Enforced Sales' procedure for empty homes; Nov-16 Housing Development Team / Council Tax Recovery Team Develop a procedure that will ensure empty properties with debts outstanding to the council are flagged and information shared with CT recovery