National Empty Homes Week (3-9 March) is a great chance to remind Herefordshire residents what to do about any property in their community that has been left empty for more than six months.
Empty properties can have a significant impact on local communities and the local environment. As well as being an eyesore, they are often the focus for anti-social behaviour and may attract vermin. They can also greatly reduce the value of other properties in the neighbourhood.
Herefordshire Council’s Empty Property Officer works with local people to bring properties back to life. There are many reasons why properties are empty and the work is often complex. For example, there are times when we are unable to find an owner or when the property is not registered to anyone. In these situations, we seek the help of tracing agents who specialise in genealogy and probate cases. They also work closely with the Empty Property Officer to offer wider services that can be useful to owners such as house clearance and sales.
By working with the tracing agents and partners across Herefordshire, the council has brought back into use 64 empty properties during the current financial year.
Residents who are concerned about any empty homes in their neighbourhood can email the council’s Empty Property Officer or telephone 01432 260728. When contacting them, please provide the address or location of the property you are worried about and let them know why you believe it to be empty.
If you are the owner of an empty property and would like to discuss your options around refurbishment, renting or selling, please also contact the council’s Empty Property Officer, as above.
Councillor Carole Gandy, Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing, said:
This National Empty Homes Week, we want to raise awareness of the work Herefordshire Council is doing to bring long-empty properties back to life.
Empty properties are a waste of valuable resources and have a negative impact on local communities. I would urge residents to get involved by bringing any such properties to the attention of council officers so that appropriate action can be taken.