Freedom of Information Request - Long Term Empty Properties

The request was successful.

Dear Bracknell Forest Borough Council,

I am writing to you to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act:

1) Can the council confirm their current number of Long Term Empty Properties as of the 8th May (those domestic properties which have been empty for six months or older)
2) What work is the council currently undertaking or planning to undertake around reducing their long term empty properties in 2019?
3) During 2018 did you undertake any work around reducing your Long Term Empty Properties. If you did was this done using internal resource or a third party?
4) If yes is the answer to question three, did the council review every single long term property
5) Does the reduction of empty homes in the council area form part of your Housing strategy?
6) Does the council have a budget in place to help support the reduction of empty properties?
7) How much did the council spend on temporary accommodation during 2018?
8) Does the council offer financial support /loans to Long Term Empty property owners to help them bring properties back into use?

Yours faithfully,

Alex Arthur

Information Compliance-Officer, Bracknell Forest Borough Council

Dear Alex Arthur

Thank you for your request for information, below, which was received by the Council ( 09/05/19) and I will deal with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The FOI Act obliges us to respond to requests promptly, and in any case no later than 20 working days (by 07/06/19) unless it is necessary to consider the public interest, in which case a full response must be provided within such a time as is reasonable in the circumstances and I will write to you again if this occurs.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future correspondence.

Yours sincerely

Information Compliance Team
Legal Services
Delivery
Bracknell Forest Council
Tel: 01344 352000
Email: [email address]
Web: www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk

Information Compliance-Officer
Legal Services
Service Delivery
Bracknell Forest Council

Tel: 01344 352000
Email: [email address]
Web: www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk

show quoted sections

Information Compliance-Officer, Bracknell Forest Borough Council

Dear Alex Arthur

 

I am writing to confirm that the council has completed the processing of
your request for information.

 

Please find below a copy of your request, followed by the Council’s
response.

 

 

 

1) Can the council confirm their current number of Long Term Empty
Properties as of the 8th May (those domestic properties which have been
empty for six months or older)   491 properties

 

2) What work is the council currently undertaking or planning to undertake
around reducing their long term empty properties in 2019? The council deal
with each case individually and will provide advice to home owners with
long term empty properties and ways to bring them back in to use; Empty
Home Loans are available Via Flexible Home Improvement Loans Ltd

 

3) During 2018 did you undertake any work around reducing your Long Term
Empty Properties. If you did was this done using internal resource or a
third party?  See questions 2 and 8 – no additional initiatives currently
in place

 

4) If yes is the answer to question three, did the council review every
single long term property- no

 

5) Does the reduction of empty homes in the council area form part of your
Housing strategy? The Council will commence a review of the Housing
Strategy in 2019 and this will include a review of priorities and
resourcing.

 

6) Does the council have a budget in place to help support the reduction
of empty properties? Advice in respect of empty homes forms part of the
role of a small team with a wider remit and is difficult to disaggregate.

 

 

7) How much did the council spend on temporary accommodation during 2018?
This has been refined to give a figure for the financial year 2018/19
which is 76,587- total net cost which includes Council owned temporary
accommodation

 

8) Does the council offer financial support /loans to Long Term Empty
property owners to help them bring properties back into use? Yes.  Empty
Home Loans are available Via Flexible Home Improvement Loans Ltd

 

 

 

You may also find it helpful to refer to our web page
https://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/busi...
which contains other helpful information as well.

 

 

 

If you have any queries about this matter please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

 

Please note that your request may itself be the subject of a FOI request
and will be disclosed in that event.

 

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to our
handling of your request you can request an internal review.

Requests for an internal review must be made in writing, and within 40
working days from the date the authority issued an initial response to
your request. Public authorities are not obliged to accept internal
reviews after this date.

 

Requests for internal reviews should be acknowledged and the target date
for responding will be advised usually within 20 working days. In the
event that clarification of an internal review is required from the
applicant the normal 20 working day time period will not begin until it
has been received.

 

When requesting an internal review, please include your reference number,
the date of your original request and your contact details. Please also
include an explanation of why you are dissatisfied with our response.
Requests for an internal review should be sent to:
[Bracknell Forest Borough Council request email]

 

 

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the
ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints
procedure provided by the Council. The Information Commission can be
contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Information Compliance Team

Legal Services

Delivery

Bracknell Forest Council

Tel: 01344 352000

Email: [email address]

Web: www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk

 

Information Compliance-Officer

Legal Services
Service Delivery
Bracknell Forest Council

 

Tel: 01344 352000
Email: [email address]
Web: www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk

show quoted sections

 

Information Compliance-Officer, Bracknell Forest Borough Council

Dear Alex Arthur

 

Further to our response to your request sent to you on 6^th June the
response to question 7 was incorrect. Please find the correct full
response below.

 

 

1) Can the council confirm their current number of Long Term Empty
Properties as of the 8th May (those domestic properties which have been
empty for six months or older)   491 properties

 

2) What work is the council currently undertaking or planning to undertake
around reducing their long term empty properties in 2019? The council deal
with each case individually and will provide advice to home owners with
long term empty properties and ways to bring them back in to use; Empty
Home Loans are available Via Flexible Home Improvement Loans Ltd

 

3) During 2018 did you undertake any work around reducing your Long Term
Empty Properties. If you did was this done using internal resource or a
third party?  See questions 2 and 8 – no additional initiatives currently
in place

 

4) If yes is the answer to question three, did the council review every
single long term property- no

 

5) Does the reduction of empty homes in the council area form part of your
Housing strategy? The Council will commence a review of the Housing
Strategy in 2019 and this will include a review of priorities and
resourcing.

 

6) Does the council have a budget in place to help support the reduction
of empty properties? Advice in respect of empty homes forms part of the
role of a small team with a wider remit and is difficult to disaggregate.

 

 

7) How much did the council spend on temporary accommodation during 2018?

Net Expenditure               £-76,587

This shows net expenditure (after income from rent/Housing Benefit) for
all temporary accommodation – council owned, leased property and emergency
placements in nightly paid accommodation

 

 

8) Does the council offer financial support /loans to Long Term Empty
property owners to help them bring properties back into use? Yes.  Empty
Home Loans are available Via Flexible Home Improvement Loans Ltd

 

 

 

You may also find it helpful to refer to our web page
[1]https://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/busi...
which contains other helpful information as well.

 

 

 

If you have any queries about this matter please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

 

Please note that your request may itself be the subject of a FOI request
and will be disclosed in that event.

 

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to our
handling of your request you can request an internal review.

Requests for an internal review must be made in writing, and within 40
working days from the date the authority issued an initial response to
your request. Public authorities are not obliged to accept internal
reviews after this date.

 

Requests for internal reviews should be acknowledged and the target date
for responding will be advised usually within 20 working days. In the
event that clarification of an internal review is required from the
applicant the normal 20 working day time period will not begin until it
has been received.

 

When requesting an internal review, please include your reference number,
the date of your original request and your contact details. Please also
include an explanation of why you are dissatisfied with our response.
Requests for an internal review should be sent to:
[2][Bracknell Forest Borough Council request email]

 

 

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the
ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints
procedure provided by the Council. The Information Commission can be
contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Information Compliance Team

Legal Services

Delivery

Bracknell Forest Council

Tel: 01344 352000

Email: [3][email address]

Web: [4]www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk

 

 

From: Information Compliance-Officer
Sent: 06 June 2019 11:10
To: [FOI #575493 email]
Subject: Freedom of Information Response Ref No: 127 - Long Term Empty
Properties

 

Dear Alex Arthur

 

I am writing to confirm that the council has completed the processing of
your request for information.

 

Please find below a copy of your request, followed by the Council’s
response.

 

 

 

1) Can the council confirm their current number of Long Term Empty
Properties as of the 8th May (those domestic properties which have been
empty for six months or older)   491 properties

 

2) What work is the council currently undertaking or planning to undertake
around reducing their long term empty properties in 2019? The council deal
with each case individually and will provide advice to home owners with
long term empty properties and ways to bring them back in to use; Empty
Home Loans are available Via Flexible Home Improvement Loans Ltd

 

3) During 2018 did you undertake any work around reducing your Long Term
Empty Properties. If you did was this done using internal resource or a
third party?  See questions 2 and 8 – no additional initiatives currently
in place

 

4) If yes is the answer to question three, did the council review every
single long term property- no

 

5) Does the reduction of empty homes in the council area form part of your
Housing strategy? The Council will commence a review of the Housing
Strategy in 2019 and this will include a review of priorities and
resourcing.

 

6) Does the council have a budget in place to help support the reduction
of empty properties? Advice in respect of empty homes forms part of the
role of a small team with a wider remit and is difficult to disaggregate.

 

 

7) How much did the council spend on temporary accommodation during 2018?
This has been refined to give a figure for the financial year 2018/19
which is 76,587- total net cost which includes Council owned temporary
accommodation

 

8) Does the council offer financial support /loans to Long Term Empty
property owners to help them bring properties back into use? Yes.  Empty
Home Loans are available Via Flexible Home Improvement Loans Ltd

 

 

 

You may also find it helpful to refer to our web page
[5]https://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/busi...
which contains other helpful information as well.

 

 

 

If you have any queries about this matter please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

 

Please note that your request may itself be the subject of a FOI request
and will be disclosed in that event.

 

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to our
handling of your request you can request an internal review.

Requests for an internal review must be made in writing, and within 40
working days from the date the authority issued an initial response to
your request. Public authorities are not obliged to accept internal
reviews after this date.

 

Requests for internal reviews should be acknowledged and the target date
for responding will be advised usually within 20 working days. In the
event that clarification of an internal review is required from the
applicant the normal 20 working day time period will not begin until it
has been received.

 

When requesting an internal review, please include your reference number,
the date of your original request and your contact details. Please also
include an explanation of why you are dissatisfied with our response.
Requests for an internal review should be sent to:
[6][Bracknell Forest Borough Council request email]

 

 

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the
ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints
procedure provided by the Council. The Information Commission can be
contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Information Compliance Team

Legal Services

Delivery

Bracknell Forest Council

Tel: 01344 352000

Email: [7][email address]

Web: [8]www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk

 

 

Information Compliance-Officer

 

Legal Services
Service Delivery
Bracknell Forest Council

 

Tel: 01344 352000
Email: [9][email address]
Web: [10]www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk

 

show quoted sections

 

References

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1. https://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/busi...
2. mailto:[Bracknell Forest Borough Council request email]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/
5. https://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/busi...
6. mailto:[Bracknell Forest Borough Council request email]
7. mailto:[email address]
8. http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/
9. mailto:[email address]
10. http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/