At the meeting of the Environment and Housing Management Committee on 8^th March 2017, Members resolved to request a strategy document (Appendix A of the report) outlining the proposed measures to effectively reduce the number of empty homes in the Borough.

The previous report set out the powers available and initial proposals to contact the owners of the long term empty properties in the Borough. 

The proposed Empty Homes Strategy outlined the measures and actions that could be taken to encourage and enforce owners to bring empty homes back into use. 

Cllr Hossack MOVED and Cllr Poppy SECONDED the recommendations in the report and following a discussion a vote was taken by a show of hands and it was:

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY

1.    That Members adopt the proposed Empty Homes Strategy (Appendix A of the report) following public consultation.

2.    That Officers be instructed to identify and prioritise current long term empty properties in the Borough and work to reduce the number of empty homes within existing resources where possible. 

3.    To seek to recover the costs of enforcement action where possible. 

4.    To approve Key Performance Indicators to monitor progress of the Strategy.  

5.    To regularly update Members at meetings of the Community, Health and Housing Committee. 

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

To ensure that effective action was taken to reduce the number of empty homes in the Borough within existing resources where possible. 

To seek to ensure that the costs of enforcement action was recovered where possible.