It may be the height of Summer but our campaign to reduce the number of empty homes in Redlands continues.
The bad news is that the impact of the recession on housing in Reading has resulted in an increase of 10% in the overall number of private properties empty for 6 months or longer across Reading.
At the same time, as officers revealed at the July meeting of the HHCC Scrutiny Panel the number of people seeking affordable housing and claiming housing benefit in Reading has also risen.
To my mind this means the need for Labour-controlled Reading Borough Council to take active steps to reduce the number of empty homes in the Borough even more important and urgent.
I recently successfully campaigned for updates on empty homes work to be brought to scrutiny ever quarter.
Below is a detailed update on what is happening regarding several prominent empty homes in the ward:
35 Christchurch Road
We have not forgotten about this property and are aware of the concern that it’s empty, dilapidated state causes residents as well as the harm its appearance is doing to the character of the local area.
I have kept in touch regularly with the empty homes officer (who was appointed after a successful campaign by the Lib Dems for action to reduce the hundreds of empty homes in the Borough) about this property.
The owner is currently carrying out major internal renovations to the property – we hope with a view to bringing it back into use this year (!)
It was disappointing to see an increase in the build up of waste and building materials at this property recently: I brought this to the officers’ attention.
Officers contacted the owner to point out that though No 35 is currently a building site, he must get his builders to tidy the site up. Officers also warned him that enforcement teams are on standby to take legal action if the site is not tidied up soon.
As a result of this a good deal of the rubbish at the site has been removed, which is good news.
Please let me know if waste builds up again and I will contact the Council.
8 Allcroft Road
A number of residents contacted us recently with concerns about the deterioration of this property which has been empty for several month after a change in ownership. We raised this with the Council’s empty homes’ officer, environmental health and planning enforcement departments.
Three site visits were subsequently carried out and planning enforcement officers confirmed that although no action can be taken with regard to the undergrowth, there is a degree of rubbish on site which the Council can require the owner to remove.
The builder’s rubble on site is actually the hard-core base for a hard standing which the owner started towards the end of last year but did not finish due to lack of finances. Officers pledged to write to the owner requiring him to clear the site of rubbish and to let officers know how he intends to proceed vis a vis the hard standing. Depending on his response, officers will then consider formal enforcement action as appropriate.
We are pleased to say that this property was recently let (at long last) so is no longer technically empty. Please let us know if you notice further deterioration of this property and we will chase the Council for action.
Alexandra House, London Road
This property has been an eyesore as well as a known anti-social behaviour hotspot for a number of years. Drug dealing and arson were two of the problems associated with this empty house which caused residents a lot of anxiety.
I have been chasing officers for a long time to put pressure on the developers to bring this house back into use.
The latest news I have is that the owner thinks there could be about 6 months work to go to completion which it is hope will be by Christmas. Fingers crossed!
I would like to thank Nick Pritchard-Gordon, empty homes officer, and all the enforcement officers at Reading Borough Council who have helped us make real progress on this issue since 2006.
Thanks also to all the local residents who have supported our campaign - it's really helped us get the Council to take this problem seriously.
Here's to more homes being brought back into use soon!
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