The Renewal, Recreation and Housing Information Briefing of Bromley Council was scheduled to receive updates on the Digital Infrastructure Work Plan and on Empty Homes in the borough. These briefings were provided for information only, and would only be debated if a member of the Committee requested a discussion 24 hours in advance.

Empty Homes Update

The briefing on empty homes provided an update on the council's position regarding empty homes in the borough.

It noted that central government data from November 2024 indicated that at least 265,061 homes in England had been empty for over six months, which was the highest figure since 2011. In Bromley, 3,068 homes were registered as vacant or second homes in September 2025, an increase from 2,608 in September 2024. Of these, 497 were considered long-term empty homes, having been empty for over two years.

Long term empty properties can remain vacant for a number of reasons, including a lack of interest from owners, or uncertainty about how to manage properties in disrepair. Bringing empty homes back into use not only helps meet increasing demand for housing but also contributes to the revitalisation of both town centres and residential areas. Empty homes can attract anti-social behaviour, vandalism and be a visual blight on local areas.

Bromley Council had introduced a Council Tax Premium, imposing additional charges on long-term empty properties. Following amendments by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, councils could apply the Empty Homes Premium after one year of vacancy, but Bromley Council continued to apply it from the two-year threshold, as implemented in April 2020. The briefing noted that long term empty homes had increased in the last year, from 381 in September 2024 to 497 in September 2025, indicating that the premium may not be sufficient to bring all empty homes back into use. Bromley Council currently applies premium rates of up to 300% of the standard Council Tax for properties vacant for over ten years, generating an estimated £1,011,142 in additional revenue in FY 24/25.

Following grant funding being secured for the Council Housing Acquisition Programme (CHAP), the council sent letters to nearly 500 empty homes in the borough and received 137 responses. The letter invited owners to respond to suggestions that may support them bringing the empty home back into use, including the council purchasing the home (through CHAP funding) or directing a council renovation and leasing programme. Owners expressing interest in selling their property to the council had been contacted as part of the CHAP funded Bromley Homes for Bromley People acquisition programme. To date, no empty homes have been purchased through this programme, as the three properties considered required extensive void works to meet the Decent Homes Standard, and were deemed financially unviable under current programme criteria.

The council's website was scheduled to be updated to provide an empty homes support page by February 2026, sharing advice and guidance for empty home owners on renting or selling via estate agents, care providers, or directly to the council (where funding is available).

Council Tax records showed 3,068 properties in Bromley were currently second homes or empty homes, though many were temporarily vacant due to probate or pending sale and were not subject to the Empty Homes Premium. There were 497 Long-Term Empty Homes in the borough, which were those that have been unoccupied and unfurnished for over two years. Since April 2023, Bromley had applied the maximum premium rates permitted by legislation to these long-term cases:

• 100% for homes empty 2–5 years
• 200% for 5–10 years
• 300% for over 10 years

The largest share of empty homes fell within Council Tax Bands C and D¹, particularly within those vacant for 2-5 years.

A map was provided showing the number of residential properties across Bromley's wards that have been vacant for over two years. Bromley Town ward fell within the highest category, with between 45 and 75 long-term empty homes, while wards including Darwin and Biggin Hill were in the lower ranges, with fewer than 26 such properties.

Digital Infrastructure Work Plan Update

The Digital Infrastructure Work Plan (DIWP) was adopted by the council in February 2021. The report provided an update on the progress of digital connectivity within the borough. An update on the DIWP is provided to the Renewal, Recreation and Housing Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee bi-annually.

The UK's national targets for gigabit connectivity² are to have gigabit-capable broadband available to 85% of premises by 2025 and nationwide by 2030. The government also has a longer-term goal of achieving 99% coverage by 2032, focusing on hard-to-reach Total Not-Spots through the Project Gigabit programme.

The UK's national target for 4G mobile connectivity is 95% of all areas by 2025. The target for 5G connectivity is for standalone 5G to be available in all populated areas by 2030.

Interventions continue to be made by the council through the DIWP, in order to support the rollout of gigabit capable connectivity, notably through facilitating the development of:

• Full-fibre to the premises broadband (FTTP)
• 4G/5G mobile networks

It was previously recognised by the council that there was a degree of market-failure, in relation to the commercial rollout of full-fibre broadband digital infrastructure across the Borough. Attempts to address the issue, included a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Openreach (the primary provider of broadband infrastructure in the Borough), which was agreed in 2021. Despite the significant progress made since the MOU was agreed, the proportion of full-fibre broadband coverage across Bromley remained below the London average. The current full-fibre broadband coverage in Bromley is 64% as compared with the average figure of 78% across the London boroughs.

Openreach is the primary provider of full-fibre broadband within the Borough and provides over 59% of the total coverage. The other alternative infrastructure providers/Altnets only contribute half as much coverage within the Borough in total, as compared to the average contribution of 50% from Altnets across other London boroughs.

Following successful negotiations with the Council at senior level, Openreach re-affirmed their commitment to carrying out 75% full-fibre upgrades at each of the local and neighbouring telephone exchange areas and full-fibre broadband being made available to over 75% of premises across the Borough by summer 2026 at the latest.

The council has been promoting the additional dark-fibre/full-fibre capacity with low-connection fees available to local businesses and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), in partnership with ITS. This follows the successful completion of the TfL funded SIF/WFbG project to connect over 21 public buildings/Council sites with full-fibre broadband. The additional investment of £450k secured from Boldyn/ITS extended the new local dark fibre spine across the borough to help reduce future full-fibre broadband connection costs for over 4,000 potential local businesses.

At present Community Fibre have no plans to resume their full-fibre rollout following their upgrade of over 33,000 premises across the Borough. Hyperoptic are also adopting a similar strategy with their social housing. The major Virgin Media/O2 rollout programme to upgrade their existing cable network to full-fibre broadband has commenced in the north of London, but the timescale for upgrading their existing network in Bromley is still uncertain.

The council has agreements with 4 mobile infrastructure providers (Freshwave, Cellnex, BT/EE and Ontix). Freshwave has deployed over 27 small cells across town centres in Bromley and this has increased 4G/5G network coverage and capacity at these locations, as well as generating over £38,900 for the Council so far.

The latest annual Connected Nations report published in late 2024 and updated in January 2025 showed that 5G mobile coverage by all mobile network operators (MNOs) in Bromley has increased to 89% and approximately double the national average.

Despite the improved mobile network coverage in the Borough, some local areas are still experiencing gaps in connectivity. Cornerstone is a major mobile network infrastructure provider/neutral host provider and has approached the council Planning team to look at opportunities to ensure more successful planning applications through early engagement/briefing meetings.

The Economic Development team has recommended that any opportunities to initially engage with a key infrastructure provider such as Cornerstone should be considered by the Planning team.