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Latest Empty Property News 2008

Contact our Press Department for further background information or to arrange interviews and case studies.

Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

February 2008

Empty pub rates hit imminent
Morning Advertiser - UK
Regulations have been laid in parliament to enable the introduction of reforms to empty property rates on April 1. The most significant change is the ...

Out with the new and in with the old
News Shopper - UK
No Use Empty scheme by Kent County Council has been running for three years and has bought 30 per cent of empty homes back into use. ...

MP and council leader call for more Elevate funding
Burnley Citizen - UK
Another 146 homes will be acquired, using the cash, and 92 properties will be demolished, as part of an empty homes initiative. ...

Money wasted on empty council homes - 23rd October 2007
Suffolk Evening Star - Ipswich,England,UK
A REVIEW is under way today after it emerged thousands of pounds were being wasted as council homes stand empty for weeks on end. ...

Rental market at risk from ending of rates relief
ic Wales - United Kingdom
The Westminster Government has delivered another blow to the property industry over empty-premises rate reforms, hitting it with a £1bn tax bill six months ...

A lukewarm reception for plan to build 5000 homes
Belfast Telegraph - United Kingdom
... Ms Ritchie said she was determined to achieve more than simply "managing" the housing crisis and also outlined plans to bring empty homes back into use.

...Laws to cut empty property relief confirmed
Regen.net (subscription) - London,England,UK
Owners of empty commercial properties face paying full business rates on their premises under legislation due to come into force on April 1. ...

New measures to 'breathe life' into deprived areas
24dash - Hereford,UK
Announced in the 2007 Budget, empty property rates are designed to revitalise run-down communities and ensure the effective and efficient use of buildings. ...

Housing co-op member rejects council’s claims
Richmond and Twickenham Times - UK
Our house was empty for 12 years before we, as a group of young people struggling to find affordable accommodation in London, succeeded in getting agreement ...

Empty homes provide training opportunity for firefighters
24dash - Hereford,UK
Empty houses awaiting demolition on Crabtree Place in Cheltenham gave the perfect training opportunity to Gloucestershire Fire Service. ...

Ritchie to the rescue with plan for 5000 new homes
Belfast Telegraph - United Kingdom
Ms Ritchie also unveiled details of schemes to allow existing social housing tenants the chance to buy a stake in their homes and to bring empty homes back ...

begins on flats at children's home site
Peterborough Evening Telegraph - Peterborough,England,UK
The building, on the corner of St Paul's Road and Peveril Road, in New England, Peterborough, had stood empty for almost a decade. ...

Historic cottage set to be saved
Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph - Kettering,England,UK
Chris Mallender, the council's chief executive, said: "The council's position is we have a policy of bringing empty homes back into habitable use. ...

Affordability is key for homes
Dorset Echo - England,UK
... step in and build affordable homes itself and a dedicated officer is being recruited to help bring some of Bournemouth's 2022 empty homes back into use. ...

Cornwall holiday-homes outnumber local houses
Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom
... house prices are being pushed out of reach of most locals, as well as complaints that many of the second homes are lying empty for much of the year. ...

Anger as planners give thumbs up to 37 homes
Halifax Evening Courier - UK
But objectors say there are already too many empty homes in Calderdale. Stephen Cunningham, of Moorlands Road, Greetland, who objected to the Ashfield Road ...

Hope lies in empty homes
Times Online - UK
Two years ago 83 per cent of empty homes in London were owned by private landlords. The London homelessness charity Broadway (www.broadwaylondon.org) is ...

UK housing market close to collapse, analyst
Times Online - UK
UP TO 35% of Liverpool's new city centre apartments are lying empty, as an already flooded property market struggles to attract buyers. ...

Empty house boost for young disabled people
Evening Leader - Wrexham,Wales,UK
The property, at 24 Ryeland Street, will undergo major improvement and renovation work under Flintshire Council's empty homes scheme and will be converted ...

Higher taxes on empty buildings
Liverpool Daily Post - Liverpool,UK
As a result, empty rate costs for owners and developers of office or shop premises will double. Moreover, owners of unoccupied industrial property, ...

Progress on stricken London Road
St. Albans Observer - St. Albans,England,UK
By Alex Lewis STORE giant Tesco has pledged to repair empty homes which have marred London Road for years and get people living there as soon as possible. ...

Rate alert over cost of empty properties
ic Wales - United Kingdom
... or industrial buildings will no longer receive a reduction in their rates bill if their property is empty for longer than three or six months. ...

Shrinking city
Lancashire Evening Post - Preston,England,UK
By David Coates A growing swathe of empty shops are "shrinking" Preston city centre, according to retailers and property owners. They believe the number of ...

Luxury homes '£130m wasted space'
Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom
But the "grace-and-favour" homes, each worth up to £15 million, represent only a tiny part of the government properties standing empty, which belong to ...

Council combats empty shop issue
Eastbourne Today - Eastbourne,England,UK
By Annemarie Field A property landlord in Terminus Road has been encouraged to actively market his empty properties in a council-led initiative to improve ...

‘Fill up area’s empty houses’
Huddersfield Examiner - Huddersfield,UK
Kirklees will set its budget on February 27 and Clr Battye wants to increase the amount spent on empty homes from £1m to £2m. He hopes money can be spent on ...

Appeal on problem houses
Liverpool Echo - UK
Wirral’s Empty Property Hotline, which targets derelict buildings that attract anti-social behaviour and vandalism, wants to trace the owners of four ...

Planning application put in for empty properties
Scarborough Evening News - UK
County Cllr Michelle Andrew had been looking into the possibility of converting the property into a youth drop-in centre before Yorkshire Coast Homes ...

Labour member of Parliament for Hastings and Rye
Hastings Observer - Hastings,England,UK
We also have some 800 dwellings (mostly flats, it must be said) that have been empty for more than six months and, whilst that compares with 1400 such units ...

Insurance premiums will soar unless the Government stops building ...
Daily Mail - UK
“Ministers must also ensure that empty homes are brought back into use, including the million empty homes above shops and commercial premises, ...

Property market watch
Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom
The rise in identity theft has exposed landlords and owners of empty property to potentially large losses. Sales and letting agents are being warned about ...

Landlords urged to put empty homes back into use
Burnham & Highbridge Weekly News - Burnham,England,UK
"We, as a council, believe that having an effective solution to bringing empty homes back into use and also reducing the incidences of property being empty ...

Make use of empty homes to ease crisis
The Argus.co.uk - Brighton,UK
That figure could be reduced by 13 per cent if the homes empty for longer than six months were used. Hastings has more empty properties than anywhere else ...

Grass roots rise against the eco-towns - 8th February 2008
Guardian Unlimited - UK
There are 3000 planning applications which have already been given for new homes that haven't even been built yet in Selby. There are 2400 empty properties ...

Empty homes provide fire practice - 8th February 2008
BBC News - UK
Empty houses awaiting demolition on a Cheltenham estate will be used for firefighters' training exercises. Gloucestershire Fire Service will send teams of ...

Affordable homes in Castle Morpeth? - 5th February 2008
Morpeth Herald - Morpeth,UK
... from bringing empty properties back into use and working with other districts to create more traveller sites to ensuring all homes reach the ...

Homes stood empty in Burnham - 5th February 2008
Weston & Somerset Mercury - eston-super-Mare,England,UK
The council hopes to work with other organisations to remove empty houses and replace decaying properties with refurbished homes.

Shame of Worthing's empty homes - 5th February 2008
Worthing Herald - Worthing,England,UK
WITH 900 empty private properties in the borough, Worthing Council aims to take a tougher line in getting such homes filled by people needing better ...

Action call over empty council housing stock - 4th February 2008
Wrexham Evening Leader - Wrexham,England,UK
"I can't understand why we are deliberately leaving property empty. There are also people on the housing list who may not be homeless, but are living in ...

Another brick in the wall - 4th February 2008
Mortgage Solutions - UK
The second change is aimed at people bringing empty houses back into use. From 1 January 2008, a reduced rate of VAT of 5%, rather than 17.5%, is payable on ...

Think tank for vacant council houses - 4th February 2008
Morpeth Herald - Morpeth,UK
Councillors have been asked to form a scrutiny working group to identify local issues and draw up an Empty Property Strategy. The work, which was requested ...

Changes aimed to cut empty properties - 3rd February 2008
Wiltshire Times - UK
From April 1, the Government is removing the current empty property relief from business rates. Industrial and warehouse properties will also be subject to ...

Step inside Edwardian delight - 2nd February 2008
ic Newcastle.co.uk - Newcastle,England,UK
It had stood empty for a few years, so needed quite a lot of work.” Built in 1902 from local stone, the detached property has a wealth of period features ...

Councils team up to re-use empty properties - 1st February 2008
Kent Online - United Kingdom
... Sevenoaks councils have joined forces with Kent County Council (KCC) to launch the West Kent branch of No Use Empty: the Kent Empty Property Initiative. ...

Demand continues in commercial sector - 1st February 2008
Halifax Evening Courier - UK
Companies seeking to rent property will undoubtedly have more choice than their counterparts seeking to own property. The Government's change to Empty ...

January 2008

Use It Or Lose It! - 30th January 2008
Thisiscourier.co.uk
...CRACKDOWN on landlords who leave their properties unoccupied could help hundreds of West Kent?s poorest people find somewhere to live.

Great news! House prices are down - 30th January 2008
Times Online - UK
... something fishy is going on. well there is 700, 000 empty homes (some dilapedated) and 5 million renting. the fact is there are too many wealthy people ...

Should we fear for Manchester's commercial property market in 2008 - 30th January 2008 Manchester Evening News - Manchester,England,UK
Doubt lies within the industrial sub-market, where investors could lose when Empty Property Relief legislation comes in April. Some landlords are using ...

Derelict homes crackdown - 29th January 2008
Wirral Globe - Wirral,England,UK
Since launching their Empty Property Hotline in October, 2006, the team has received a substantial number of referrals from residents who own, live next to, ...

HOMES ON THE HIT LIST - 28th January 2008
Grimsby Evening Telegraph - Grimsby,England,UK
"There is an empty homes grant available to people who want to do up derelict properties, as much as £20000 can be available to people. ...

'We're a soft touch for developers': Councillor slams planning ... - 27th January 2008
Halifax Evening Courier - UK
Over the last four years homes have been built at twice the rate required and latest figures revealed 4000 empty homes in Calderdale.

‘Time to act over house empty for 20 years' - 26th January 2008
Huddersfield Examiner - Huddersfield,UK
As the property has remained empty for many years the council can now use its powers to buy the house. The Lindley councillor raised the issue at ...

Mixing with the millionaires - 26th January 2008
Financial Times - London,England,UK
aThe castle, which is surrounded by a 7-hectare park sloping down to the sea, was destroyed by a fire in the 1970s and has remained empty for several decades ...

New empty rates shock - 25th January 2008
Property Week News - London,England,UK
The empty property rate reforms were announced in the Budget to come into effect on 1 April. ‘We have since written to all local authorities, ...

HOMES ON THE HIT LIST - 25th January 2008
Grimsby Evening Telegraph - Grimsby,England,UK
We can force the sale of a property in the hands of a private landlord, if we have already carried out work on the property. "There is an empty homes grant ...

Second homes tax discounts reviewed - 25th January 2008
Halifax Evening Courier - UK
As reported by the Courier, council figures show that cutting the discount on the 2547 empty homes in Calderdale from 50 per cent to just 10 per cent could ...

Empty pubs to be hit by rates - 23rd January 2008
Morning Advertiser - UK
Changes to the empty property relief-rate system will come into effect in less than two months. The new bill penalises licensees who close to refurbish for ...

Empty housing campaign gets new recruit - 23rd January 2008
Rye & Battle Observer - St Leonards on Sea,England,UK
The Borough Council has joined Kent Empty Property Initiative's No Use Empty scheme. It first launched two years ago as a partnership between Kent County ...

York’s empty homes appeal - 22nd January 2008
York Press - York,UK
By Gavin Aitchison MORE action should be taken to bring empty properties in York back into use, a city councillor has claimed. Council records show there ...

Sevenoaks joins fight against empty homes - 22nd January 2008
24dash - Hereford,UK
"Together we can work closely with property owners by offering a package of advice and assistance that can help return empty properties to the housing ...

Tax break cut may mean more homes - 22nd January 2008
ic CheshireOnline - Crewe,UK
To report an empty property or discuss your options regarding returning an empty property into occupation phone Michelle Puttick on 01270 529698 or e-mail, ...

'More cheaper homes' plan for Bolton - 22nd January 2008
Bolton News - Bolton,England,UK
And to cut down on empty and unused property in the borough, the plan recommends the council starts to use Empty Dwelling Management Orders, ...

COUNCIL IN LAND SALE FOR HOMES - 22nd January 2008
This is Nottingham - Nottingham,England,UK
The council hopes to attract £500000 of funding from the Housing Corporation, the Government Agency which funds social landlords. However, Coun John Wilmott ...

700 new affordable homes by 2011 - 22nd January 2008
24dash - Hereford,UK
To cut down on the number of empty and unused homes in the borough, the plan supports the use of Empty Dwelling Management Orders, when appropriate, ...

Labour plans 50 per cent 2nd homes tax rise - 22nd January 2008
Halifax Evening Courier - UK
Slashing the discount on the 2547 empty homes from 50 per cent just 10 per cent could net the council £1 million while the income from the area's 159 second ...

Empty house becomes fly-tipping eyesore - 22nd January 2008
Norwich Evening News - Norwich,England,UK
A Norwich City Council spokeswoman said they were aware of the issue of fly-tipping at the property. She added: “We are carrying out works at the moment to ...

Empty homes - reuse, recycle, reoccupy - 21st January 2008
Green Building Press - Llandysul,Wales,UK
The Building & Social Housing Foundation has called on the Government to provide an incentive to local authorities to bring Empty Homes in their area back ...

1000s wait as homes lie empty - 21st January 2008
expressandstar.com - Wolverhampton,England,UK
More than 200 council homes in Wolverhampton are sitting empty and ready for new tenants, while 7303 people are told they have to wait, figures obtained ...

Empty homes campaign may bring prices down say National Homebuyers
UKPRwire (press release) - UK[UKPRwire, Wed Jan 16 2008]
The firm wants action to be taken over the number of empty homes in the UK, calling for tax breaks to be given to those who snap ...

on yer bike! - 20th January 2008
Northern Housing - UK
St Leger Homes is also working on a range of other projects – one of them is to turn void or empty houses into homes. So far, the organisation has ...

Firms optimistic on commercial rents - 18th January 2008
More Th>n Business - London,England,UK
The survey also found that 82% of firms opposed government plans to scrap the empty rate relief. Currently, all non-industrial businesses receive 50% relief ...

Call for Empty Homes incentive- 18th January 2008
24dash - Hereford,UK
The Building & Social Housing Foundation today called on the Government to provide an incentive to local authorities bringing Empty Homes in their area back ...

Culture Of Destruction
New Statesman, Dominic Cavendish
McGovern has chronicled life in working-class areas of Britain for television. Now he is fighting to save Edge Lane in Liverpool from demolition.

Businesses to be hit by rate change - 17th January 2008
Harlow Herald 24 - Stevenage,England,UK
Most empty factory, workshop and warehouse owners will have to pay full business rates after an initial six months' free period, as if the property is ...

Empty homes campaign may bring prices down say National Homebuyers
ClickPress (press release) - UK[ClickPress, Tue Jan 15 2008]
The firm wants action to be taken over the number of empty homes in the UK, calling for tax breaks to be given to those who ...

Tax breaks for home improvements supported by MPs - 15th January 2008
mform - UK
This, said the FMB, would encourage people to bring empty homes back onto the market and would help those who are less well-off to keep their homes warm in ...

Changes in housing benefit tops agenda at landlord fair - 15th January 2008
Residential Landlord - Dartford,UK
There are currently 462 properties, which currently receive a long term empty property discount. A long term empty property is defined as unoccupied and ...

Nearly 600 homes stand idle in Rother - 15th January 2008
Bexhill Observer - UK
Last Wednesday's committee meeting received a report from director of services Tony Leonard on the authority's empty homes action plan and strategy. ...

Changes to empty rate relief a concern for firms - 15th January 2008
Director of Finance online - UK
The CBI has urged the government to relax its approach to empty property rate relief, before the regulations come into effect this April, by introducing an ...

Empty properties will cost more in council tax - 14th January 2008
Wimbledon Guardian - Cheam,England,UK
By Dan Menhinnitt Hounslow Council's executive introduced the measure in an effort to bring empty homes back in to use and say it will raise an extra ..
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Concern mounts over empty houses - 14th January 2008
AboutProperty.co.uk - London,UK
Two thirds of British homeowners believe the government needs to take tougher action to tackle the problem of empty homes in the UK. ...

MPs back home improvement tax break - buy to let mortgages - 11th January 2008
Mortgages for Business - London,UK
Among the benefits the MPs argued the move would bring would be a reduction in the number of empty homes as these would now be cheaper to renovate, ...

Public want government to tackle empty homes - 11th January 2008
Introducer Today - Beckenham,England,UK
Two-thirds of people want the government to do more to tackle the problem of empty homes, according to new research. Halifax has researched the situation ...

Families living in fear - 10th January 2008
Comet 24 - Welwyn Garden City,England,UK
"The housing association that manages the empty property is planning to give the lease back to the council in March. The council will then consider the ...

Tamworth must do more - 10th January 2008
Property People Magazine - Beckenham,UK
Standards in bed and breakfast accommodation and the private sector are not being enforced and the council is failing to tackle the problem of empty homes. ...

Halifax drums up empty homes' support - 10th January 2008
Mortgage Introducer - London,England,UK
A quarter of people believe that existing tax benefits should only apply if the owner makes the property their primary residence, or sells the property ...

Britons pushing for government action on empty homes - 9th January 2008
Mortgage Strategy - UK
... have lived on the same street as an empty home. Of those over 22% found that its presence reduced their property value and enjoyment of the street. ...

Public Support For Halifax Call For Action On Empty Homes - 9th January 2008
Halifax
Halifax recently revealed the true extent of the problem of empty homes in the UK and announced that one in four people have lived on the same street as an empty home. Reduced property value (22%) and enjoyment of the street (22%), as well as the number of potential buyers (25%), are just a few of the negative impacts cited by affected homeowners.

'Drug lord' Brazil homes for sale - 8th January 2008
BBC News - UK
The auction is allowed to go ahead, even though the legal process is not concluded, to avoid the empty properties losing value. ...

Arrests in clampdown on council tax fraud - 7th January 2008
Liverpool Daily Post - Liverpool,UK
Last night Local Government Association (LGA) said that according to official government figures, Liverpool had the second highest number of empty homes in ...

Renting out an empty property? - 7th January 2008
MyFinances.co.uk - London,UK
A reader from Wiltshire is looking after an empty property and wants to know what authorities to tell when renting it out. Paul White, a consultant at ...

Peterborough empty homes - 7th January 2008
Peterborough UK - Peterborough,UK
If you have empty homes in your street contact the empty homes officer on 01733 747474, action can be taken especially if they have been vacant for over 6 ...

Empty houses see £800000 spend - 7th January 2008
BBC News - UK
Renew North Staffordshire is one of nine Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder initiatives in England which aims to build better homes in communities hit by low ...

Empty homes blitz - 7th January 2008
Ely Standard - Ely,England,UK
COUNCIL officials will get tough on East Cambridgeshire landlords with empty homes by hitting them in their pockets. Plans are on the table to take away ...

Developer unveils new affordable homes plan - 7th January 2008
Scotsman - United Kingdom
Harry Ramsden's fish and chip restaurant, had been empty for more than five years. The new tenant comes after developer Forth Ports spent £2 million on the ...

The lowdown on property taxes - 7th January 2008
BBC News - UK
CGT would be applied to the gains in those two years if, for instance, the property had been left standing empty. There are other various exemptions for PPR ...

EMPTY SHOP 'TAX' WILL HELP TO REVIVE TOWNS - 7th January 2007
South Devon Herald Express - Torquay,England,UK
The Government ended its empty property relief tax system in a bid to drive down rent and encourage business growth. In cities like Manchester, ...

New VAT rules to help renovators restore vacant properties
CityWire.co.uk - London,England,UK
New rules for VAT on property renovations will encourage owners and developers to get on with restoring empty properties rather than leaving them to rot. ...