Over 3,000 homes stand empty in Cheshire West and Chester

There are over 3,000 empty homes in Cheshire West and Chester.

A Freedom of Information Request made by CheshireLive has revealed that as of 2018, 3,167 homes stood empty - one for around every 45 houses in the borough.

While this is a high figure of unoccupied properties, it's apparent that a slight decrease has been the trend, with 64 fewer empty properties in 2018 than there were in 2014.

However, there were 51 more empty homes in Cheshire West and Chester in 2018 compared with 2017.

Cheshire West and Chester Council explained that they define an empty home as an unoccupied property which is substantially unfurnished. 

These figures on empty homes include:

• Those which have been unoccupied for under six months
• Homes in the long term of over six months
• Long term empty 'premium' properties which have been unoccupied for two years

• Properties which are both unoccupied and uninhabitable.

In response to its empty home crisis, CWaC announced a strategy back in 2016, in which they announced a mission to reduce the number of empty homes in the borough - many of which are owned by private landlords.

CWaC outlined a plan to get 900 of the region's empty homes back in use by 2021, which Councillor Angela Claydon claims the local authority is well on its way to doing.

Cllr Claydon, cabinet member for housing, said: "As a Council we are keen to do all we can to reduce the number of empty homes across the borough as every empty home is a wasted resource.

"Our approach has resulted in 553 long term empty homes being brought back into use to date which is nearly two thirds of our target."

An article by The Guardian in May last year revealed that there were 2,562 discounted empty homes in Cheshire West and Chester Council - the highest number in the country - which was costing the local council £1.4m a year in lost revenue.

Discounts on empty homes were then abolished in April 2018 by CWaC, in hopes that they would be brought back into use.

At the same time a 50% premium on homes left empty for over two years was introduced.

It has now been announced that this premium will increase again this April - so those who own properties left empty for two years or longer will pay double the amount of council tax.

Cllr Claydon said: "Since 2013, the Council has charged 100 per cent Council Tax on second homes and since April 2018 we introduced a 100 per cent charge on empty and unfurnished properties.

"With effect from 1 April this year the Council will be charging a long term empty premium of 100 per cent on all empty and unfurnished properties that have been empty more than two years.

"This means owners will be paying double council tax. These measures are in place to encourage owners to bring empty properties back into use as quickly as possible."

But while the number of empty homes in the region sees a slight decline, the number of second homes in Cheshire West and Chester has steadily been rising.

Defined by CWaC as any unoccupied property which is furnished and not exempt, second homes - which may include holiday homes, but are not considered the same as them - are seemingly becoming more popular in Cheshire.

In 2014 the number of second homes stood at 906, and in 2018 this rose to 953.