The Resources Overview & Scrutiny Panel met to discuss the Empty Property Strategy and Enforced Sales Policy, and to receive an update on the performance of Alliance Environmental Services (AES). The panel recommended that the Empty Property Strategy and Enforced Sales Policy be approved by the cabinet.

Empty Property Strategy

The Resources Overview & Scrutiny Panel reviewed the updated Empty Property Strategy and Enforced Sales Policy, and recommended that the Cabinet approve them.

The Empty Property Strategy aims to:

• Bring empty properties back into use using a range of advice, assistance and support.
• Use enforcement action to bring long term, problematic empty homes back into use.
• Raise awareness of empty property issues.
• Better understand why homes are empty and where possible minimise the number of properties that become long-term empties
• Create accurate information in relation to empty properties
• Balance the need for new build with making the best use of existing stock
• Discourage anti-social behaviour, vandalism, crime or fear of crime
• Improve housing conditions, the vitality of the built environment and prevent the deterioration of the buildings.

The strategy recognises that there is not one simple solution to the problem of empty properties and outlines a range of options to bring properties back into use.

The Enforced Sales Policy (ESP) is designed to target long-term empty properties, bring them back into use, reduce environmental impact, and recover debt owed to the council. It allows the council to enforce the sale of vacant properties and land where a debt has been incurred by the council in remediating a defect on the property. The policy will not be used where the property is occupied, where the owner is working with the council, or where alternative options can be used.

The criteria for enforcing a sale under the policy are:

• The total debt on the property should exceed £10,000
• The property has to be a long-term empty property, i.e. empty for over 6 months
• The property has to be registered with the Land Registry
• The necessary Enforcement Notices and documentation have been served.

The report noted that nationally, as of October 2024, there were 272,080 homes empty for more than 6 months in England, a 1% increase on the previous year. In Staffordshire Moorlands, 1.62% of dwellings are empty for more than 6 months.

The council uses a three-stage letter process to contact empty homeowners to discover their intentions for the property and encourage engagement. An updated empty property risk rating matrix is used to inform the response to complaints and determine the level of intervention.

The council also offers information on funding available to bring empty properties back into use, including Home Repairs Assistance grants of up to £2,000.

The council tax discounts and premiums policy has been kept under regular review to discourage owners from leaving property empty, including significant premiums for longer-term empty properties.

The report also provided data on the number of empty commercial properties in the area. As of the meeting date, there were 325 empty commercial properties, of which 290 had been empty for over 6 months.

AES Performance Overview

The Resources Overview & Scrutiny Panel received a performance overview of Alliance Environmental Services (AES).

Work Programme

The Resources Overview & Scrutiny Panel discussed the work programme. They were reminded that a Community Asset Transfer Summary Report would be returned to the committee in September, and that a summary of the car park trials would be returned once the trial is completed. The Work Programme for 2025-2026 was approved at the previous meeting.

Devolution and LGR Sub Committee Update

The Resources Overview & Scrutiny Panel received an update on progress in relation to Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation from the Leader of the Council, Councillor Mike Gledhill.