More than five thousand homes across the West are standing empty while pressure mounts on local authorities to locate suitable sites for new development.
Now property specialists Colliers International has welcomed moves by councils across the region to ensure redundant sites including empty homes are fully utilised before further green field sites are swallowed up for development.
James Edwards, a planning specialist with Colliers International’s Bristol office welcomed the West of England Property Initiative – run jointly between North Somerset, Bristol City South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset Councils.
He said: “The initiative aims to get more empty private housing back into general supply on the open market by providing a base for advertising empty properties to prospective sellers, purchasers and tenants whilst also providing advice on buying, selling and renting out such properties.”
Across the country as a whole there are one million empty homes set against a perceived housing requirement of 100,000 new homes required per year. Locally, there are 5,000 empty homes across the initiative area with 1,500 in Bristol alone.
The initiative also serves commercial premises and land.
James said: “There is an ever increasing demand for housing and local authorities are being challenged to find suitable land to provide thousands of new houses.
“Although the level of empty houses in any one area may not fully meet a perceived housing shortfall for the area it will go some way to addressing it – which will help relieve pressure on previously undeveloped land on the edges of our cities, towns and villages.”
He said it was madness to leave properties empty only to have to build a new one somewhere else – consuming valuable open space and further raw materials.
He said: “A fundamental problem historically has been the lack of collaborative thinking, which has meant that there has not been a centralised service for identifying and promoting empty homes.
“The West of England Property Initiative and its associated website: www.no-use-emptywest.co.uk, provides this essential facility and gives all interested parties all the information required to reintegrate these properties into the main supply chain.”
“At Colliers we are well aware the benefits of reoccupying empty homes does not just extend to meeting the housing shortfall. Empty homes will often be neglected which could drag down an area or street. New occupancy can improve safety in the area by providing additional activity in a street and greater visibility from those living within them. The benefits to safety and civic pride cannot be underestimated.
“Colliers work with owners of empty properties and land with a view to ensuring that they can realise the full value of their asset but also assisting in making effective use of previously developed space.
“It is a ‘win win’ situation for the council and property owner. Sometimes all that is required is providing advice to the property owner and establishing a framework from which to dispose of properties which have been empty for some time.”
