Decision details

Upon the invitation of the Chair, the Principal Environmental Health Officer introduced her report to the Committee. She explained the Council was committed to tackling empty properties in the private sector, and there was an approved 5-year strategy that came into place in 2018. The report aimed to highlight all the work and achievement in this area, including the improvements this could make to neighbourhoods. Properties could be empty for a number of reasons, and work was carried out with the owners to try to understand the reasons and ensure they were brought back into use. There was an approved Empty Property Assistance Programme which provided funding for grants and loans, helping to finance repairs to properties to bring them up to standard. The fund was also used for enforcement work when necessary. More could be done and they were looking to learn from good practice from other local authorities. They were trying to increase awareness and also partnership working. Additional resources were required to support the current full-time Empty Homes Officer.

Members felt Arun District Council performed well with regards to Empty Homes, and thanked the Group Head of Technical Services, the Principal Environmental Health Officer, and the Empty Homes Officer for their work. It was felt that one of the reasons this worked so well was due to the delegations given to the Officers.

The recommendations (with amended Committee names to reflect the recent change) were Proposed by Councillor Stanley and Seconded by Councillor Alison Cooper.

The Committee

            RESOLVED

1.          that authority be delegated to the Group Head of Technical Services to make changes resulting from identified good practise and legislative changes to the Empty Property Assistance Programme, grants and loans criteria.

RECOMMEND TO THE POLICY & FINANCE COMMITTEE

2. that growth of £17,523 be included in the 2022-2023 revenue budget, to recruit on scale 4, an additional part time Technical Support Assistant for 23hrs per week to support and enhance the empty homes work.