Date published: 2025-03-03 | Category: Delivering for local residents, energy efficiency, Housing
Owners of residential properties in Bath & North East Somerset that have been empty for more than six months are being encouraged to return them to occupation.
As part of National Empty Homes Week, which runs March 3 to March 9 this year, the council is highlighting the significant environmental, economic and social benefits of bringing empty homes back into use, including the ability to help meet housing needs by boosting local housing supply in a low-carbon way.
It is planning a pilot project to encourage, support and help the retrofit and installation of energy efficiency measures as part of its empty property reclamation work. The aim is to increase the number of homes to meet the council’s Housing Plan for 2025-2030, to improve access to affordable and high-quality housing and to bring empty properties back into use.
Over the past year 82 empty properties have been bought back into use thanks to the council’s Empty Properties Service, which offers advice and financial support to homeowners through loans, grants and VAT reduction. Figures from last October showed that there were 843 properties that had been empty for more than six months - 494 of those for more than a year.
Councillor Matt McCabe, Cabinet Member for Built Environment and sustainable Development, said: “The council’s Empty Property Service offers a range of financial assistance and advice to owners of empty properties and National Empty Homes Week is a good opportunity to raise awareness of how we can help.
“With more than 1,000 empty homes in our area, bringing these properties back into use is a cost-effective way to address housing shortages without incurring the high financial costs of new developments.
“The pilot will build on the existing financial assistance offered to owners and encourage the retrofitting of empty properties, which will help support the council’s Climate Emergency aims.”
While there is no specific legislation preventing a property being left empty indefinitely if it is maintained to an acceptable standard and the Council Tax is paid, the ERPP allows council officers to take enforcement action if a property is having a negative impact on the neighbouring houses.
For more information about the council’s Empty Property Service or to report an empty property that’s negatively impacting the community, please visit the council website or contact the Empty Property Officer on 01225 396 411 or empty_properties@bathnes.gov.uk
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