A TOP 10 hit list of eyesore homes left empty for years includes vacant properties in Dunstable and Houghton Regis.
Three Dunstable properties and two Houghton homes are among the privately owned properties on the priority list, drawn up by a Central Beds Council team.
Six out of the 10 homes, all in Central Beds, have been earmarked as potential candidates for “high level enforcement action” to give them a new lease of life. Those six include both Houghton homes, and possibly one of the Dunstable properties.
Enforcement action can include compulsory purchase orders, enforced sales or taking management control of empty properties.
An update on how the council’s empty homes strategy is working has been given to the social care, health and housing overview and scrutiny committee.
And a report on the run-down houses is due to go to the executive committee along with the recommendation for enforcement action.
Long-term and problem empty homes are targeted by the council team.
Enforcement action is only part of the work to turn them back into happy homes.
The council liaises with owners and monitors how many of the homes are brought into use again.
Another tactic will be to use a £200,000 “empty homes” cash boost from the government to target vacant properties which are not dilapidated but need some work.
Owners will be told about possible funding for renovations.
For the full story, see the April 18 edition of the Dunstable Gazette.