Long Term Empty Properties

The request was successful.

I am writing to you to request the following information:

1) Can the council confirm their current number of Long Term Empty Properties as of the 13th 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) Does the reduction of empty homes in the council area form part of your Housing strategy?
4) Does the council have a budget in place to help support the reduction of empty properties?
5) How much did the council spend on temporary accommodation during 2018

Thank you very much,

Rhys

Freedom Info, Kirklees Borough Council

Dear Mr Thomas

I confirm receipt of your information request. We are dealing with this and will respond to you in due course.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 allow up to 20 working days for responding to information requests.

If you are not content with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Requests for internal reviews should be addressed to the Monitoring Officer, 1st Floor, Civic Centre 3, Market Street, Huddersfield HD1 2EY. Alternatively, you can send an email to: [email address].

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of any review you have the right under section 50 of the 2000 Act to apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision as to whether your request for information has been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Act. The Information Commissioner’s website is at www.ico.org.uk and gives more information about the role and duties of the Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Regards

Information Governance Team
The Democracy Service
Telephone: 01484 221000 (voice activated switchboard – please ask for Freedom of Information)

This email and any attachments are confidential. If you have received it in error - notify the sender immediately, delete it from your system, and do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way. Kirklees Council monitors all emails sent or received.

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Freedom Info, Kirklees Borough Council

Dear Mr Thomas

 

FoI 19786 - Long Term Empty Properties

 

I am writing in response to your request dated 13 May 2019.  This has been
dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

The Council’s response to your specific questions is set out below:

 

1)      Can the council confirm their current number of Long Term Empty
Properties as of the 13th May (those domestic properties which have been
empty for six months or older)

 

We have 6 domestic properties that have been empty for more than 6
months.  All the properties are awaiting a decision as to their use in the
future.

 

2)      What work is the council currently undertaking or planning to
undertake around reducing their long term empty properties in 2019?

 

Reactive advice given

 

3)      Does the reduction of empty homes in the council area form part of
your Housing strategy?

 

The Council’s Housing Strategy (2018-2023) is publically available on the
Council’s website: 
[1]https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/housing...

 

The strategy states that the Council wants to ensure that the most
effective use is made of all available housing stock in Kirklees,
including where homes are long-term empty, bringing these back into use. 
Whilst there are no specific priority actions on empty homes, the Council
recognises that these are an opportunity to help meet housing demand,
however, the number in Kirklees is relatively low (in line with the rate
for the Yorkshire and Humber region as a whole).  In addition, the
strategy also sets out the use of council tax premiums for properties
which have been empty for two or more years.  Where empty properties are
known we will also seek to identify and engage with owners including
offers to support them with letting the property such as a property
inspection plan, help finding tenants and facilitating appropriate tenancy
management.  The Council does have some enforcement options but these are
limited and may not bring the property back into use.

 

4)      Does the council have a budget in place to help support the
reduction of empty properties?

 

No

 

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

 

£2,075k.  This figure is for the financial year 2018/19 and is the gross
expenditure.

 

 

If you are not content with the handling of your request, you have the
right to ask for an internal review.  Requests for internal reviews should
be submitted within 2 months of the date of receipt of the response to
your original request and should be addressed to the Monitoring Officer,
1^st Floor, Civic Centre 3, Market Street, Huddersfield HD1 2EY. 
Alternatively, you can send an email to:
[2][email address]. 

 

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

 

If you are not content with the outcome of any review you have the right
under section 50 of the 2000 Act to apply to the Information Commissioner
for a decision as to whether your request for information has been dealt
with in accordance with the requirements of the Act.  The Information
Commissioner’s website is at [3]www.ico.org.uk and gives more information
about the role and duties of the Commissioner.  The Information
Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office,
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Information Governance Team

The Democracy Service

Telephone: 01484 221000 (voice activated switchboard – please ask for
Freedom of Information)

 

For more information about how we deal with your personal data, see
[4]www.kirklees.gov.uk/privacy

 

 

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Thank you very much for this information. I just want to double check with you on question 1 whether this is actually correct. The request was about all domestic properties publicly and privately-owned within the Kirklees area. Can you confirm the total number of properties over 6 months empty.

Thanks

Rhys

Freedom Info, Kirklees Borough Council

Dear Mr Thomas

I confirm receipt of your email below.

The response has been limited to long term empty Council properties because your question asked "Can the council confirm THEIR current number of Long Term Empty Properties" [my emphasis]. As such it is correct.

I will log your request for all domestic properties as a new request. This will be for the following information:

"Can the council confirm the current number of all domestic Long Term Empty Properties - both publicly and privately-owned - within the Kirklees area as of the 13th May (those domestic properties which have been empty for six months or older)". I will acknowledge receipt separately, quoting the new request number.

Regards

Information Governance Team
The Democracy Service
Telephone: 01484 221000 (voice activated switchboard – please ask for Freedom of Information)

For more information about how we deal with your personal data, see www.kirklees.gov.uk/privacy

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Freedom Info, Kirklees Borough Council

Dear Mr Thomas

I confirm receipt of your information request. We are dealing with this and will respond to you in due course.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 allow up to 20 working days for responding to information requests.

If you are not content with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Requests for internal reviews should be addressed to the Monitoring Officer, 1st Floor, Civic Centre 3, Market Street, Huddersfield HD1 2EY. Alternatively, you can send an email to: [email address].

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of any review you have the right under section 50 of the 2000 Act to apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision as to whether your request for information has been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Act. The Information Commissioner’s website is at www.ico.org.uk and gives more information about the role and duties of the Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Regards

Information Governance Team
The Democracy Service
Telephone: 01484 221000 (voice activated switchboard – please ask for Freedom of Information)

For more information about how we deal with your personal data, see www.kirklees.gov.uk/privacy

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Freedom Info, Kirklees Borough Council

Dear Mr Thomas

RE: 19959 - Long Term Empty Properties

I am writing in response to your request dated 10 June 2019. This has been dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

You asked for the following information:

Thank you very much for this information. I just want to double check with you on question 1 whether this is actually correct. The request was about all domestic properties publicly and privately-owned within the Kirklees area. Can you confirm the total number of properties over 6 months empty.

The Council’s response to your request is set out below:

The figure for long term empties more than 6 months is currently 2723 properties.

If you are not content with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Requests for internal reviews should be submitted within 2 months of the date of receipt of the response to your original request and should be addressed to the Monitoring Officer, 1st Floor, Civic Centre 3, Market Street, Huddersfield HD1 2EY. Alternatively, you can send an email to: [email address].

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of any review you have the right under section 50 of the 2000 Act to apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision as to whether your request for information has been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Act. The Information Commissioner’s website is at www.ico.org.uk and gives more information about the role and duties of the Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely

Information Governance Team
The Democracy Service
Telephone: 01484 221000 (voice activated switchboard – please ask for Freedom of Information)

For more information about how we deal with your personal data, see www.kirklees.gov.uk/privacy

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This email and any attachments are confidential. If you have received this email in error – please notify the sender immediately, delete it from your system, and do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way. Kirklees Council monitors all emails sent or received.