If you are concerned that a property is empty in your area report it at emptyhomes@shelter.org.uk or phone the Empty Homes Advice Service on 0344 515 1941. By viewing our content you are accepting Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. A review by Flintshire County Council showed some. landlords, owner occupiers who pass affordability checks. The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership exists to help bring private sector empty homes back into use. An empty home need to be looked after as much as one which is lived in. Part furnished. Work has begun on a 3.1m redevelopment of Aberystwyth railway station in Mid Wales. Deeside.com Est. Q , The authority launched a drive to try and improve the quality of accommodation it lets out, but said empty properties had gone up to 281 as they failed to keep pace. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? One of these, headed 'homelessness', explains there is a risk due to the cessation of funding from the Welsh Government COVID-19 hardship fund at the end of 2021/22. J Maximum loan of 10,000 subject to eligibility testing and loan assessment. B 2014. FLINTSHIRE has more than 200 empty council properties even though theres a waiting list of 4,000 people desperate for homes. He said: , The voids team utilise contractors for works to empty properties that is unable to be resourced or delivered via the direct work force. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Empty flats could also be used to cut council spending on delayed transfer from care or hospital for people not yet ready to return to their own homes. FLINTSHIRE councillors have discussed what the next steps are for empty houses throughout the county - after a two year struggle due to various complications. , Flintshire Council paid approximately 2.3m to bring its vacant social houses back to an appropriate standard for new tenants in the last 12 months. contact the editor here. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? FOIA Request - Wales the use of cookies. Meanwhile Flintshire council will get 750,000 from the Welsh Government to redevelop old and empty properties that are difficult to bring back into use. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Approximately 70% of current void properties are completed within the target period. Dear Flintshire County Council, I am a local property developer (Hawarden based) using local tradesmen to renovate property in the area. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, 1st Floor, Chartist Tower, Upper Dock Street, Newport, Wales, NP20 1DW Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Analysis showed "a series of issues where some of the schemes appear unpopular", resulting in a high turnover and properties left empty. The Housing and Assets Service housing stock consists of around 7,300 properties. It means they will not be tied to council-owned warden accommodation, but can live anywhere. Bid to tackle challenges surrounding empty council houses in Flintshire More than 2m has been spent on bringing empty council homes in Flintshire back into use last year. That then creates an opportunity for the council to review, modernise and re-occupy these properties. But, the re-tendering exercise will 'increase resilience', whilst ensuring newly procured contractors are held accountable to performance targets. I know of four people who have tried to rent it and two people who tried to buy it. FLINTSHIRE Council chiefs have denied a councillors' claims that the coronavirus pandemic is being used as an excuse for the authority not turning around empty properties quickly enough. He said: Many old and vulnerable adults rely on the support and friendship from resident wardens.. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Executive member for housing management, Coun Helen Yale, said the situation was one which had existed before she came into office, but now 15 of the 16 had been rented out and Lixwm was under consideration. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. H Committee chair Cllr Helen Brown said: "We need to protect the investment we put in. Sign up to our free newsletter for the top North Wales stories sent straight to your e-mail. The Voids Action Plan was. , The repairs and maintenance team also utilise these contractors when works are either too large or complex to manage. It is the responsibility of home owners to maintain their property and to keep it in good order. He said there was no good explanation from the authority then about why it was empty and in the intervening six years it had remained empty. The fund, made available to Councils in Wales, enables the Council to provide short to medium term loans to owners of sub-standard properties who pass affordability criteria and who are restricted by other sources of finance. R We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. London Borough of Lambeth: "At this rate of net growth there remains a clear risk of overspend despite additional in-year funding having been provided by Welsh Government.". Applicant must have sufficient equity within their property to cover the loan amount, Applicants property must be long term vacant (over 6 months) and the Council satisfied that a housing need exists in the area, Property must be tenanted until the loan is released, Property owner must agree to the property being managed by a social lettings agency. Cabinet member for housing, councillor Helen Brown, said: "It is no longer acceptable for properties to remain empty when the need for housing is increasing. Comments have been closed on this article. Bedsits were also "generally unpopular" with older tenants and tended to be used as short-term accommodation. Sheltered housing in remote areas suffered from limited access to shops, especially with the closure of local convenience stores, the report said, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. MORE than a dozen council properties have stood empty for years - costing Flintshire thousands of pounds in lost rental income. It doesnt make sense.. Repayment will be reduced by 20% for each full year elapsed since the completion date, Flintshire County Council retains tenancy rights for 5 years and property must be managed by, Landlords participating will be encouraged to join the, Maximum grant of 20,000 subject to eligibility testing and loan assessment, A proportion of the grant is repaid on sale or transfer of the property within 5 years, If the property is Let then the property must be free of, If the recipient sells the property during the term of the HIL the loan must be immediately repaid in full. This is in the form of an interest free loan to cover works which bring the property up to the Decent Homes Standard. Flintshire County Council retains tenancy rights for the duration of the agreement. With this policy the council can begin moving forward to address the issue of vacant homes whilst also recovering monies it is owed. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. A review by Flintshire County Council showed some schemes were not popular. N This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Mr Williams said: Just think about the rent they have lost. Amongst the recommendations to cabinet members are that they note the report and the estimated financial impact on the 2022/23 For owners of vacant properties to bring up to lettable standard, in eligible areas, to be occupied by Council nominated tenants for 5 years. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. This is in the form of an interest free loan to cover works which bring the property up to the Decent Homes Standard. Max: 35,000 per unit of accommodation (150,000 per applicant maximum). Coun Aaron Shotton, Labour Leader, said: To remove resident wardens and replace them with mobile wardens is a retrograde step that will leave many of our elderly feeling very vulnerable. Repayment terms to be sorted by administrator on a case-by-case basis as part of affordability checks, Owners of sub-standard residential properties e.g. , Chief officer for housing and assets, Neal Cockerton, said the agreed payment rates are shortly due to lapse and need renewing. Communities and local government secretary Eric Pickles has granted planning permission to a redevelopment of Pinewood Studios that would almost double its capacity. Flintshire Share For owners of 6 months plus, vacant residential properties to bring up to lettable standard. Lambeth, London, Grade & Salary: 37,308-40,806 (Grade 6): Is climate change killing Australian wine? This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's 2. Interested applicants should complete an Expression of Interest Form - please download the form below. OnTheMarket > 14 days Marketed by Matthews of Chester - Chester. Flintshire Council has more than 2,600 sheltered homes, which account for more than a third of its total housing stock . S "There is a recent trend of increased numbers of households in Bed & Breakfast accommodation with numbers increasing progressively month on month from 29 in October to 61 in January, so more than doubling over a period of three months. budget, as well as approving a transfer of 200,000 from a contingency reserve to replenish the authority's Winter Maintenance Reserve. The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership exists to help bring private sector empty homes back into use. Challenges faced by the council included the availability of skilled resources, raw materials and linked price increases, all of which impacts negatively on void delivery and turnaround times. We serve those towns and villages in Flintshire which lie close to River Dee in North East Wales and the border with neighbouring Chester in England. In Flintshire, council tax records indicate 888 properties have been empty on a long-term basis or are second homes which could be potentially liable for the premium. T . These include empty homes: Empty properties. The report states: "Although, there is continued support via the new Homelessness No One Left Out grant, with a further allocation of 0.256m being confirmed recently, this still falls well below the amount of support the council received via the Hardship Fund in 2020/21 and 2021/22. Applicant must have sufficient equity within their property to cover the loan amount/or offer a different property with sufficient equity for security, Applicants property must be long term vacant (over 6 months), Property must be tenanted until the loan is released or sold, On completion of the works, the property must be habitable and of a lettable standard (no, Property must be covered by buildings insurance until the loan is repaid, Maximum loan of 35,000 subject to eligibility testing and loan assessment, The Council holds a share of the property value, to the cost of the works, Loan is repaid on sale or transfer (maximum loan term is 2 years for sale and 5 years for rent), Voluntary early repayment may be made at any time. That initiative falls under the Town . Some flats become unsuitable as tenants grow older, the report said. I believe the one in Lixwm is being considered for a lady with disabilities, said Coun Yale. Questions were raised over whether or not more regular inspections needed to be carried out in order to ensure that any damage done by tenants was kept to a minimum. All of this has impactedon the progress of refurbishment works withinempty properties throughout the county. X V During the meeting this week, Housing Services manager Sean O'Donnell said the maintarget now was to 'address the backlog in voids and increase resilience' in terms of contractors. Please report any comments that break our rules. N:B Applications will also be considered from first time buyers who wish to reside at the property themselves and who are also registered on the Councils Affordable Home Ownership Register. For owners of 6months plus, surveyed as non-decent vacant residential properties to bring up to lettable standard, to be occupied by Council nominated tenants. The project is funded by the Scottish Government and housed by Shelter Scotland. L Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, Indian 'killer' elephant relocated to tiger reserve, Ding becomes China's first male world chess champion. Conwy had 1,155 chargeable second homes but only 1,181, last year, whilst Denbighshire had 397 and 393. Properties, including houses on the Holway estate, Holywell, and bedsits in sheltered housing complex Glan y Morfa Court, Connahs Quay, have been identified by the council as practically impossible to let. "This is due to a combination of more new placements and fewer households moving on. Loans can be provided for the purpose of improving a residential property to/for: Up to 5 years for landlord loan, 7 years for owner occupiers, HILs can be drawndown by loan recipients in advance, in stages or on completion of the improvement works. Some homes do not get a Council Tax bill for as long as they stay empty. The result was lost rent of 242,492 in 2018-19, the report said, equivalent to 2.2% of the 11.3m raised from sheltered accommodation tenants. 4 bedroom detached house to rent Gardd Eithin, Northop Hall, Flintshire, CH7. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. the use of cookies. Editors' Code of Practice. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Having a long term empty property in the neighbourhood is a wasted resource and can quickly become an eyesore through deterioration in condition and the risk of vandalism and crime. We use cookies on your computer or mobile device to help make this website better. As a result, there are many challenges and obstacles that arise when completing refurbishment and capital investment works to these older properties. Flintshires Empty Homes Flintshire County Council. This has a number of cross cutting service links through Housing Management, fromthe refurbishment of the void to prepare it for reoccupation and the re-letting of the property to those on the General Housing Register. A Gannett Company. New BBC Wales HQ to be built on Cardiff bus station, Housing fund puts power back in tenants' hands, Regeneration of Newcastle's Co-op building begins. An example would be, works to remedy serious disrepair, provide modern kitchen and bathroom facilities, improve heating systems and insulation, and to remove any serious hazards which could affect the well-being of the occupier, such as dampness, dangerous stairs or electrical wiring. The reasons include distance from shops, and upstairs flats unsuitable for less mobile elderly tenants. Read 327,693 times in last 30 days Lists. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. These applicants are not subject to the conditions relating to the management of the property by a social lettings agency, FCC retaining tenancy rights and the requirement to become an accredited landlord. Council holds share of property to be repaid on sale or transfer within 2-5 years. FLINTSHIRE has more than 200 empty council properties - even though there's a waiting list of 4,000 people desperate for homes. I Either staged repayments (monthly, quarterly or yearly) or full repayment at the end of the HIL term or on sale of the property if earlier. 69 other terms for empty house - words and phrases with similar meaning. For further information call: 01352 703434, Housing Regeneration and Strategy County Offices Chapel Street Flint Flintshire CH6 5BD. antonyms. Z, Copyright 2023 Clackmannanshire Council A review by Flintshire County Council showed some schemes were not popular. An "excessive" number of empty sheltered homes is costing a council nearly a quarter of a million pounds a year in lost rent, officers say. However, there are many reasons why properties become vacant long term and the Council wants to help owners to bring these homes back into use. Empty properties. You can apply for a home through your local council. In addition to setting out the projected positions and projections for various council departments, the report also sets out a number of risks which are being 'tracked.'. M This has the added benefit of bringing the house back into use. Maximum loan per applicant 150,000. Council holds share of property to be repaid on sale or transfer. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Indian 'killer' elephant relocated to tiger reserve, Ding becomes China's first male world chess champion. FLINTSHIRE councillors have discussed what the next steps arefor empty houses throughout the county - after atwo year struggledue to various complications. Flintshire Council's Cabinet will meet on Tuesday to discuss a revenue budget monitoring report for 2022/23. Analysis showed "a series of issues where some of the schemes appear unpopular", resulting in a high turnover and properties left empty. Miss Harkin said: We need to radically improve where we are now.. Upstairs flats also became unsuitable for elderly tenants over time as they became less mobile, it added. Max: 25,000 per unit of accommodation (150,000 per applicant maximum). Owner Occupier Loans Housing Regeneration. , It comes after neighbouring Wrexham Council admitted earlier this month that the external contractors it uses are struggling to keep up with the rate of repairs needed. The project is funded by the Scottish Government and housed by Shelter Scotland. Chief housing officer Neal Cockerton said in a report the 2,600 sheltered accommodation properties accounted for just over a third of Flintshire's housing stock. P We have looked at releasing them back into general need but because of where they are and their allocation, we have to be careful. The reasons behind the current void backlog, the challenges both pre and post-COVID that restricted the council operations, were captured in the previous report on voids presented to Scrutiny in late 2022,alongside planned activity to improve performance. Among the warden bungalows which have remained empty is a three bedroom bungalow at Lixwm near Holywell, which has been empty for at least six years. For owners of 6 months plus, vacant residential properties to bring up to lettable standard. The previous contract arrangement meant the council only had access to one contractor. A Property & houses for sale in Flintshire Create alert Grid view Map view Sort: Most recent 259,995 3 bedroom semi-detached house for sale Plot 26, The Epsom at Summers Bridge, Welsh Road, Deeside CH5 Nearest station 1.2mi. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. The latest analysis of properties shows a total of 772 properties are currently subject to the 50% premium charge, consisting of 605 long term empty properties and 167 second homes. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. An example would be, works to remedy serious disrepair, provide modern kitchen and bathroom facilities, improve heating systems and insulation, and to remove any serious hazards which could affect the well-being of the occupier, such as dampness, dangerous stairs or electrical wiring. An action plan has been put together to deal with the void properties, which includes recruiting 14 people to bring empty properties up to standard. Launched in 2014, Deeside.com is an independent online news and information website. If a property is empty longer than 6 months, the Council tax payments are affected. Minimum loan of 500. The borough council last night confirmed a total 16 former. Nearest station 2.3mi. Head of housing Maureen Harkin said the problems were down to a number of factors, including inconsistent management and poor productivity. Ratepayers are footing the bill for the 217 void properties, which are estimated to be losing Flintshire County Council 1.5m in rent a year. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Average costs for refurbishment of void properties range from 1,500 for a minor void to an average of 9,000 for a major void property. O On top of the loss, the council is spending 3,500 on bringing each property up to standard. By viewing our content you are accepting Most people look after their properties but there's an element of those that don't and these are the ones that will cost us thousands of pounds. Sheltered housing in remote areas suffered from limited access to shops, especially with the closure of local convenience stores, the report said, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. This is in the form of an interest free loan to cover works which bring the property up to the Decent Homes Standard. Sign up to our free newsletter for the top North Wales stories sent straight to your e-mail. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. Frank Williams, who has lived in Lixwm village all his life, raised the issue of the empty wardens bungalow at the OAP development in Bryn Tirion with the Daily Post over six years ago. London Borough of Lambeth: Fears over burial space capacity at two Flintshire cemeteries discussed by council, Network Rail confirms when noisy engineering works on the line in Deeside will end.
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