Good news today as I learned that Reading Borough Council's empty homes officer has successfully brought an empty family home back into use. According to a press release issued by the Council this afternoon:
"Reading Borough Council's recently appointed Empty Homes Officer had been working to trace the owner of the three-bedroom property, just outside the town, to help get the home occupied once more. The owner was traced to Cornwall and offered help and advice by the Council to find new tenants and about getting VAT relief on refurbishing the property so it could be let out once again. Both the property owner and the Council were keen to get the property back on the rental market as the home was being illegally occupied by squatters."
It's amazing the difference a recession and a longrunning Lib Dem campaign has made to help Labour politicians change their tune and start supporting the need for an effective empty homes strategy:
"John Ennis, Reading Borough Council's Lead Councillor for Housing, said: 'It is fantastic this property has been brought back onto the rental market thanks to the work put in by the Empty Homes Officer working alongside the owner. There are a number of empty homes in Reading and it's important the Council does all it can to help proprietors get them back into use."
Years ago RBC won an award for it's work on empty homes...but when I took up the challenge of finding out what happened to the policy I found it had been shelved by the current Labour administration.
We know that there are more empty homes in central Reading than any other part of town. According to the same press release, the Council has identified '11 priority empty homes' in and around the town centre - a number of these will be in Redlands, of this I have no doubt.
I wonder whether this list includes 35 Christchurch Road - a landmark property in Redlands, which I have been calling to be brought back into use since 2006. The owner of this property has been reluctant to sell or redevelop the property. I'm aware of two charities and an individual who had approached RBC wishing to bring this property back into use.
It may also include Alexandra House on London Road - another prominent empty home in the ward. I have been pursusing this case for over a year. Things are looking slightly more hopeful and fingers crossed works will re-start at this property in the New year. There are plenty more examples of empty properties across Katesgrove and Abbey wards - and beyond.
In a recession, the Council must be proactive and use empty homes as an opportunity to generate much needed affordable housing for people in Reading.
To this end I have requested that an urgent update on the progress of the Council's empty homes strategy be brought forward to the next Housing, Health and Community Care Scrutiny Panel (which I currently Chair) in March 2009.
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