EHN news

LGA publishes EHN article on New Homes Bonus

Story submitted by EHNAdmin on

This is very tardy news-reporting given that this collection of essays was published back in Feburary 2012. It appears not to have been picked up on the EHN website at the time.

The final essay in the collection (which includes a foreword by then then Housing Minister Grant Shapps) is entitled Putting Existing Stock to Better Use and points out the imporance of local authority empty homes activities in securing revenue through the New Homes Bonus.

London Empty Property Officer Forum - latest

Story submitted by David Gibbens on

There are still places available to authorities both inside and outside London at The London Empty Property Officer Forum, to be hosted by LB of Hounslow on the 25th September.

Full details of the event can be found on our Event Listing including the latest agenda, featuring informative sessions on several different topics. Kirsten Firth, the South-East London Regional Empty Homes Co-ordinator, will be chairing the event, which promises to be valuable for

HCA Funding Group coming slowly to life

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The new Groups feature of our website, introduced earlier this year, is slowly starting to provide the benefits that we hoped for. Luke Taylor's HCA Funding - successful bidders Group is the most active to date, and features a reacent post from Amanda Thomas at South Gloucestershire asking whether anyone is aware of any successful bidder that has received their contract from the HCA.

Lynne's blog wins March Post-of-the-Month Award

Story submitted by David Gibbens on

The Post-of-the-Month Award for March goes to Lynne Campbell of South Lakeland District Council for her blog, Life in the Lakes. It's great that Lynne has stuck her head above the parapet and offered us - and anyone else who encounters our website - an insight into the issues that confront empty homes practitioners day-to-day, whether practical or strategic.

February Post-of-the-month Awards go to Nick Pritchard-Gordon and Andrew Vickers

Story submitted by David Gibbens on

Our programme of rewarding the best posts on the website have fallen somewhat behind - but nor have they been forgotten.

Just to remind people that the awards are approved by the Empty Homes Network Membership Services sub-commttee (though they are not responsible for the delay, which is attributable to "administrative bottlenecks" as we like to refer to them, euphemistically, hereabouts). Anyway, and finally, here are the February Awards:

Still places available at Mental Capacity Training

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We have nearly filled one session of the Mental Capacity Training running in London on June 26th but we now expect to be running a morning session - so there are still places available. However, we suggest you get your bookings in quickly if you want to attend.

The morning session will run from 10.00am to 1.00pm approximately and the afternoon session from 2.00pm to 5.00pm approximately.

Andrew Stunell presents Grafton Empty Homes Practitioner of the Year Awards

Story submitted by David Gibbens on

The 2012 Empty Homes Practitioner of the Year Award, sponsored by Grafton (UK) Ltd. was won this year by Keith Shields, Empty Property Officer at South Tyneside Council. Unfortunately Keith was not able to accept the award in person but it was accepted by Alan Armstrong on his behalf.

As in previous years, it was hard to choose between the short-listed submissions. Dominic Gordon of Grafton, who announced the awards, commented:

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