Council tax from second homes could help ease housing crisis

An estimated 1,600 properties in the East Riding are second homes and their owners pay full council tax on them, although the money is not used for a specific purpose.

This could now be ring-fenced to tackle a housing crisis in the borough – and, depending on the council tax band of each property, deliver a pot of between £1.3m and £3.8m.

A report to the Corporate Issues Overview and Scrutiny Committee at East Riding Council said: “The number of second homes in the East Riding is estimated to be 1,600. It is not possible to establish how many of these are empty as owners pay full council tax on these properties.

“The income generated from the zero discount rate for second homes could be used to deliver new affordable housing or to bring empty homes back into use, but is currently not ring-fenced by the council for any particular purpose.”

Last April more than 3,700 properties in the East Riding were empty, and 1,130 of these were classed as long-term empty.

This had fallen considerably from 2009, when 5,500 were empty, although many of these were still being renovated after suffering structural damage in the 2007 floods.

The authority currently has about 9,500 people on its council house waiting list.

As well as building 331 new homes to increase its social housing stock at more than 30 locations, mainly in Goole, Bridlington and Beverley, the council is also working with the Homes and Communities Agency on a joint-funded £1m scheme to buy empty properties, through which it plans to have added a further 10 homes to its housing stock by the end of the year.

One of its main interventions to bring empty properties back into use is through compulsory purchase orders (CPOs).

It used a CPO to buy a property in Seaton Road, Hessle, although it has yet to find its owner who is due £65,000 in compensation following a ruling by a land tribunal.

The council is taking similar action against a derelict property in Lansdowne Road, Bridlington, and is preparing a case against one on Beverley which has generated a series of complaints from neighbours.

Three empty properties in Goole will also be put back into use after the council negotiated to buy them from their owners, avoiding the CPO process.

Coun Jane Evison, portfolio holder for cultural services, housing and public protection at the council, said: “Putting these properties back into use will not only provide homes for people, it will also help to keep the East Riding looking its best.

“The deterioration of an empty property can have a noticeable affect on the area. We can understand how people living near these properties feel, as they do not want to be affected by the possibility of fly tipping, anti-social behaviour or other problems empty homes can attract.

“Ideally we would always choose to work with the owners of an empty building to make sure it is put to good use, but where this is not possible we can choose to use a CPO to resolve the situation.”

The report, which will be considered next Thursday, concludes: “Although the numbers of empty and long-term empty properties is relatively low as compared to regional and national figures, there remains a challenge in bringing this figure down if this proves a cost-effective way of providing additional homes.

“This would help to address the demand for housing in the area, reducing the need for new development elsewhere, and in many cases will improve the environment for surrounding properties.”

Anyone concerned about an empty property can call Roger Curry, empty property officer, on (01482) 396016.