Caerphilly County Borough Council has launched an information pack as part of a wider project to address the issue of empty properties.
The ‘Caerphilly – No Use Empty’ pack aims to provide a resource for owners of empty properties and to signpost them to the wide range of support available to help them bring their buildings back into use.
In December 2020, the Council’s Cabinet gave the green light to establish a dedicated team to deal with empty properties in the county borough. The team has since developed an action plan and begun delivering this by building on the Council’s previous work in engaging with owners of empty properties and bringing them back into beneficial use.
The team also has powers to take enforcement action in cases where residential properties are causing significant concern.
Cllr Shayne Cook, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, comments: “As well as being unsightly long term empty properties can also bring with them a range of other issues, including becoming a magnet for anti-social behaviour.
“The team is already delivering excellent outcomes in bringing empty homes back into use and, in some cases, bringing additional benefits by using them to rehouse local people who would otherwise have found themselves homeless.
“The information pack is an additional tool that we hope will help to engage more owners of empty properties and make them aware of the help and assistance available to them.”