Submitted by DGibbens on
Following our announcement of E.ON’s Awards sponsorship (see our story ‘E.ON launches Empty Homes Awards season’) the company has provided more details of its new partnership project to tackle empty homes..
Most people will probably be familiar with E.ON as an Energy supplier, but it is proving itself to be much more than that. E.ON describes itself as
Submitted by DGibbens on
We don't feel we have had enough submissions in 3 of our Empty Homes Awards Categories, and so we are extending the deadline for these for another week, until 2359 on Tuesday, 9th October.
The three Awards categories we are holding open are:
It seems that modesty prevails. Don't be shy - your work is more valuable than you may think.
Submitted by DGibbens on
We are pleased to announce that Orbis Protect is sponsoring a new ‘Rising Star’ Award as part of this year’s Empty Homes Awards. This award is intended to recognise and reward emerging empty homes practitioners who have made significant contributions over a short period of time.
Louis Fordham, Orbis Protect - Business Development Director for the Social Housing Sector, said:
Submitted by DGibbens on
It’s the Empty Homes Awards season, and we are very grateful to energy supplier E.ON for providing the launch-pad this year. E.ON is sponsoring both the Awards Ceremony at the forthcoming Empty Homes Conference on the 18th October and also this year’s Innovation Award.
Submitted by DGibbens on
Can you help production company Two Four source interesting empty homes projects to highlight in a forthcoming series for the BBC?
Based on what we know so far, this is an excellent opportunity to highlight the contribution that empty homes practitioners make or to reveal issues we face.
Over to Vicki Pratt of Two Four:
Submitted by DGibbens on
Preparations are well in hand for the national Empty Homes Conference to be held in Birmingham on Thursday, 18th October.
Submitted by DGibbens on
The campaigning charity Empty Homes (previously the Empty Homes Agency and soon to be 'Action on Empty Homes') has initiated a major new 'Campaign for Community Investment' that lobbies for capital investment in areas with higher numbers of empty homes.
Submitted by DGibbens on
New Homes Bonus seems set to be discontinued after 2019-20, based on statements in the government's latest Technical Consultation on the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2019-20.
Submitted by DGibbens on
The House of Lords has inserted an amendment into the Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Bill that introduces an escalator into the amount of Empty Homes Premium payable according to how long a dwelling has been empty. The amendment was supported by the government which suggests that it will be accepted in the Commons.
Submitted by DGibbens on
Recently-appointed Dominic Raab has been replaced as Minister of State for Housing by Kit Malthouse, now the eighth minister to hold the housing portfolio in 8 years.
Given the normally short-term nature of such appointments, there seems little point in devoting serious brain-power to anything that might be called 'research' into the latest incumbent of the role. As an alternative, here are some useful links:
Submitted by DGibbens on
The government has launched a £163 million fund to support community-led affordable housing. The scheme is being administered by Homes England (the successor to the Homes and Communities Agency) and bids are invited under a 'continuous market engagement' process that will continue until all the money has been allocated or December 2019, whichever comes first.
Crucially, the Prospectus makes it clear that the scheme is available for conversions and refurbishment:
Submitted by DGibbens on
A major report published by Anglia Research reveals a considerable amount of uncertainty, inconsistency and questionable practice amongst local authorities using probate researchers (or 'tracing agents'). For empty homes practitioners seeking to use tracing agents to locate missing owners, the report highlights some of the risks involved and the need for due diligence and robust procedures to control those risks. It warrants close reading.
Submitted by DGibbens on
Kent's No Use Empty (NUE) initiative scooped the award for ‘Outstanding approach to regeneration’ at the UK Housing Awards event at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel in central London.
The UK Housing Awards, run by Inside Housing and the Chartered Institute of Housing, is the largest and longest running awards in the sector and is now in its third decade.
Submitted by DGibbens on
The 23rd report from the Intergenerational Commission, entitled A New Generational Contract, includes surcharges on second and empty homes as part of its 10 main policy recommendations.
Recommendation number 6 reads:
Replace council tax with a progressive property tax with surcharges on second and empty properties; halve stamp duty rates to encourage moving; and offer a time-limited capital gains tax cut to incentivise o of additional properties to sell to rst-time buyers.
Submitted by Brighid Carey on
Empty Homes, the national campaigning charity, has a project to spread community-based regeneration in areas with high levels of empty homes. We are following demonstration projects where community-based organisations are bringing empty homes into use in areas with high levels of empty homes. We want to share their experiences and encourage other organisations to look at how community-based regeneration could work in such neighbourhoods to tackle the underlying causes of empty homes.
Submitted by DGibbens on
In the wake of Amber Rudd's resignation as Home Secretary, Sajid Javid been appointed in her place and has in turn been succeeded by James Brokenshire. Brokenshire was previously Secretary for Northern Ireland, a role from which he stepped down four months ago in order to receive treatement for lung cancer.
Submitted by DGibbens on
The Information Commissioner has shown where her sympathies lie by slapping a massive £120,000 money penalty on the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea for accidentally revealing the names of owners of empty homes in the Borough, along with the addresses of the homes concerned.
Submitted by DGibbens on
Having led the way with Empty Homes Premium, Scotland may well be en route to develop a new device for the empty homes toolkit in the form of Compulsory Sale Orders. These would be targeted at 'vacant, derelict and empty land', but in principle this would seem to include empty dwellings.
Submitted by DGibbens on
Following written Parliamentary questions from Labour's Shadow Housing Minister, John Healey, about the housing situation of Grenfell survivors, Dominic Raab has provided a detailed breakdown in what is described as a 'holding answer':
Submitted by DGibbens on
Farmers are being given enhanced options for converting agricultural buildings to homes through an extension of Permitted Development Rights. These allow owners to effect a change of use without needing full planning permission.
The amended development right for the change of use of agricultural buildings to provide up to 5 new homes will allow for: