1,155 empty residential properties in town

Warrington Borough Council has confirmed 825 of these have been empty for six months or longer.

Officers are currently unable to say how many have been empty for five years of longer, as the authority is part way through council tax billing for the next financial year.

The council says its aim is to bring empty properties back into use as quickly as possible.

A spokesman said: “To support this work, we employ an empty property officer who regularly inspects empty houses in the borough to check their condition.

“We try to work with owners to bring properties back into use, providing advice on appropriate options such as renovation, rental, or sale.

“We can also assist in finding interested buyers and may offer loans to renovate houses for rental purposes.”

The council also says that where owners can’t be persuaded to bring properties back into use, it can consider if any enforcement action is possible.

Town Hall

The spokesman said: “Enforcement methods may include serving legal notices requiring works to be undertaken, if this isn’t complied with, we can arrange for work to be done and then recharge the owner.

“If the owner owes money, we can look at enforcing the sale of the property to recover monies owed.

“We are currently in the process of enforcing the sale of three empty properties, but if an owner repays the money owed prior to sale then the enforced sale process stops.

“However, we will still try to continue working with the owner to bring the property back into use. We also have some other enforcement powers to deal with empty properties such as compulsory purchase orders, but these can only be used in very limited circumstances.

“Any enforcement action will be taken in accordance with our enforcement policy, where it is necessary and proportionate to do so in the public interest, having regard to the circumstances of each case.”

Cllr Bob Barr, leader of Warrington’s Liberal Democrats, has shared his views on the matter.

He said: “With 5,000 or so people waiting for social housing in Warrington, empty properties add insult to injury.

Cllr Bob Barr

“However, some properties are empty for legitimate reasons, such as awaiting a sale, or long-term illness, so a balance has to be struck.

“Reusing empty properties alone will not solve Warrington’s affordable housing problem. Other measures such as new build, buying existing properties for social rent, and buying properties from inadequate private landlords must all play a part.

“All this needs proper financing as too many people can no longer afford the true cost of a roof over their head.”

Gary Pemberton, director of Belvoir Sales and Lettings, which is based on Sankey Street, says all residential property, where possible, should be utilised as good quality accommodation for occupiers.

He said: “Long-term empty properties can attract vandalism, crime, squatters and unpleasant for the neighbours/local community.

Belvoir Sales and Lettings

“It is such a shame to see so many new properties being built when there are so many existing properties that are empty.

“I suspect the initiatives that WBC have for dealing with empty properties are not reaching the owners or the offering/incentives are not sufficient to encourage the owners to do something about it.

“Renovating long-term empty properties is expensive, hence why it is cheaper to build new ones.

“A solution needs to be found to correct this balance, so that owners are incentivised to bring these long-term properties back to quality/habitable accommodation. Government and the council need to lead this initiative.”

Furthermore, Manoj Patel, director at Hamlet Homes, based at Warrington Business Park, says empty homes are a wasted resource and having an empty property makes little business sense to PRS landlords.

He added: “However, houses can become empty for many reasons from people who have inherited a home, or where previous tenants have left the property in an unfit state for safely onward renting. The reasons are many and complex.

Manoj Patel

“Empty homes can become a target for vandalism, crime and anti-social behaviour, making it even more difficult to get the property back on the market.

“So, it’s in everyone’s interest to work together to bring these properties back on the rental market. Warrington council should engage with owners of empty properties with incentives and support to get their properties back on the rental market, rather than just using the punitive stick of council tax premium and enforcement action for empty homes.”