Agenda item

The Chair of Place Scrutiny Panel presented the Panel’s Final Report and draft recommendations in relation to its review into Empty Properties.

The Chair of the Place Scrutiny Panel thanked all those involved in the creation of the report and commented this was an important subject. He also stated that national government needed to reexamine the property rating system. 

A Member queried what the Council Tax rates were for properties that were empty for longer periods. The Mayor stated properties empty for two years or more had 200% Council Tax imposed and those empty for five years or more the amount was 300%.

A Member stated they welcomed the report as it provided useful information on how to deal with empty properties in their ward.

The Chair of the Place Scrutiny Panel stated remedies to empty properties in Middlesbrough were available but were difficult to use.

The Board was asked to consider the following recommendations:

a)     Introduce a charge of 100% Empty Property Council Tax Premium after year 1 instead of year 2 which it is currently.

b)     Impose the maximum premium for properties which have been empty for 10 years or more.

c)     Ensure that all enforcement powers available to the Council such as Completion Notices and Demolition Orders in relation to empty properties are utilised where appropriate and justify any failure to do so.

d)     Produce a database of derelict empty properties and report annually to the Executive and/or the Place Scrutiny Panel.

e)     Review empty properties across the town by carrying out data matching using the electoral register, council tax list and business rate list.

f)       Make greater use of Compulsory Purchase Orders for residential properties and smaller commercial properties such as small shops below flats. For commercial properties investigate schemes such as the High Street Rental Auctions scheme.

g)     Explore how the Selective Landlord Licensing Scheme can be made into less of a deterrent to letting out empty properties, by allowing landlords to pay the Selective Landlord License fee over 60 monthly payments instead of up front. Also by providing a waiver of future payments if the landlord sells the property.

h)     Encourage Social Housing Providers to demolish uneconomical properties that cannot be brought back into use or encourage them to sell to other developers or owner occupiers and to reinvest any money generated into their current stock.

i)       Investigate if CPOs can be issued for unsafe buildings so that they can be demolished by the Council and associated costs passed onto the owner.

j)       Explore ways of getting long-term empty properties back into use through affordable rents/full market rents or owner occupation as well as social rent.

k)     Investigate if empty social housing properties that are difficult to let could be used by the council to provide temporary accommodation.

l)       Explore all possible channels of funding and work with more developers, social housing providers and private landlords to bring empty properties back into use, including office to residential conversions.

m)   Explore alternative ways of dealing with non-residential empty properties that have been taken out of the rateable value ratings where the owner shows no intention of developing the property. Seek to ask Government to change rules on the valuable rating system so not to be exploited/abused by landlords.

ORDERED that the findings and recommendations of the Place Scrutiny Panel be endorsed and referred to the Executive.