This Plan builds on the previous Empty Homes Strategy. It sets out clear objectives on how the Council and its partners aim to tackle and reduce the number of longer term empty properties over the next 5 years.
Sefton Council will focus its intervention activity to help reduce the number of long term privately owned empty properties across the borough. This will help to bring important assets back into use, but more importantly to improve neighbourhood conditions by tackling problematic empty properties.
This plan seeks to;
- Raise awareness of long term empty properties as a wasted resource
- Encourage empty property owners, particularly those who own homes in the selective and additional licensing areas, to bring properties back into use through advice and assistance, including early intervention and preventative measures
- Utilise the full range of enforcement powers to target and bring problematic properties back into use, through cross departmental working, focusing primarily on those empty 2 years or more in the selective and additional licensing areas.