Almost 3,000 homes across Caerphilly County Borough are lying empty, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Out of the 2,874 homes that were empty, 888 have been vacant for more than a year. The figures, released to Plaid Cymru, cover the position as of September 26, 2013.
Cllr Lyn Ackerman, who represents Newbridge and is Plaid’s spokeswoman on housing, said: “With so many people desperate for an affordable home, it is disappointing that so many properties are lying empty.
“Vacant homes can blight communities, attracting vandals and affect neighbours who can see the value of their homes devalue if properties are left empty for a long time. I have particular concerns about the number of homes which have been vacant for more than a year.”
Lyn Ackerman said she had asked for a report on voids and empty homes and wanted to find out what action was being taken to deal with a problem.
Councillor Colin Mann, leader of the Plaid Cymru group, said: “All local authorities face a significant challenge from empty homes. According to Shelter bringing empty homes back into a liveable state can cost on average as little as £6,000 to £12,000, so with reasonable investment a lot of properties can be brought back into use. With the support of the Welsh Government, these empty homes figures can be reduced.”
A spokesman for Caerphilly County Borough Council said: “We are committed to working alongside the owners of empty properties across our county borough, and helping to bring them back into use. While the issue of empty homes is an issue for all local authorities, and the figures for the Caerphilly county borough are comparable to the rest of Wales, we are working actively to reduce the number of empty properties in our county borough and we are currently exceeding our target for this financial year.”
The council is currently reviewing its Housing Renewal Strategy with the intention of introducing a revised strategy in April 2014. This, according to the council, may impact on the availability of certain grant types in the interim period.
The authority offers discretionary home improvement grants to owners of empty properties that are in poor physical condition. Grants of up to £15,000 are available for properties that have been empty for at least a year.
This figure bears out my own experience and I find it disturbing that green field sites are still being built on. This is normally justified on the grounds of there being a 'housing shortage.' There is no shortage of homes in Wales but there are a lot of empty ones. My accreditation body, NHER, gave a figure of 26,000 in 2012. I know of several in Caerffili, one of which has been left empty by the owner for ten years!
Unfortunately the council cannot take strong enough action to remedy this situation. I firmly believe a United Kingdom wide law is needed to force owners of empty properties to offer these homes for sale or rent within one year of them being vacant.
A spokesperson said…. WHERE IS GERALD JONES. Happy to take the money for cabinet member for housing but can't answer when a question is asked. The same as Harry Andrews. Labour really are a complete disgrace.