It is for local housing authorities to decide when to use their powers to deal with empty properties, and they have the flexibility to focus on locally determined priorities and allocate their resources accordingly.<\/p>
The Government is taking action to encourage empty homes back into use. In certain circumstances, local authorities can exercise powers to take over the management of long-term empty homes in order to bring them back into use in the private rented sector. Local authorities can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) when a property has been empty for more than two years, subject to the production of evidence that the property has been causing a nuisance to the community and evidence of community support for their proposal.<\/p>
Similarly, Compulsory Purchase Orders can be used by local authorities to acquire empty properties where the authority can demonstration that the acquisition would be in the public interest.<\/p>
The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will give councils the power to apply the 100% premium on properties left empty after a year, rather than the current two years. The premium will provide local leaders with additional flexibility to help address the impacts of empty homes and improve the sustainability of local services where they consider that appropriate.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4032", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stuart Andrew"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Pudsey"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stuart Andrew"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-07-05T16:08:57.75Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "211"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Empty Property"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Empty Dwelling Management Orders at enabling local authorities to bring empty properties back into use; and whether he plans to introduce new ways of enabling local authorities to achieve that goal.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/413", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Hilary Benn"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leeds Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Hilary Benn"} ], "uin" : "28402"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1484302", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1484302/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Right to Buy has helped nearly two million council tenants to become homeowners since 1980, and we want to give housing association tenants the same opportunity. We want the scheme to work effectively for tenants and housing associations, and we will be working closely with the housing association sector as we develop the scheme.<\/p>
The scheme will be funded from within the overall envelope of Government spending. We will announce further details in due course.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4032", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stuart Andrew"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Pudsey"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stuart Andrew"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-07-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-07-04T15:33:33.277Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "211"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Right to Buy Scheme: Housing Associations"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2022 to Question 16928 on Right to Buy Scheme, what assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of the extension of the Right to Buy scheme to housing associations in the context of the funding arrangements intended for that scheme; and when he plans to publish the full details of the scheme.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4082", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lisa Nandy"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wigan"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lisa Nandy"} ], "uin" : "26753"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1484394", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1484394/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is providing £5.1 billion, including £4.5 billion through the Building Safety Fund, to address the fire safety risks caused by unsafe cladding on high-rise residential buildings. This will be used where the original developer and/or the building owner are not funding the works. We will be opening the next phase of the Building Safety Fund at the earliest opportunity.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4032", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stuart Andrew"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Pudsey"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stuart Andrew"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-07-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-07-04T15:31:20.237Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "211"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Building Safety Fund"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to reopen the Building Safety Fund for applications in 2022.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1524", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Meg Hillier"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hackney South and Shoreditch"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dame Meg Hillier"} ], "uin" : "26721"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1483269", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1483269/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
This Government is committed to supporting the development of locally-led garden communities. In May this year, I announced a package of £15 million to support 43 garden communities from Cornwall to Carlisle. This brings the total support since the launch of the programme in 2014 to over £69.4 million.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4032", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stuart Andrew"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Pudsey"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stuart Andrew"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-06-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-06-27T15:11:13.413Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "211"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Garden Communities"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress his Department has made on supporting garden communities.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4754", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Peter Gibson"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Darlington"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Peter Gibson"} ], "uin" : "900731"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1483272", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1483272/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We introduced the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill to the House on 11 May this year.<\/p>
This sets out a wide-ranging set of changes to put communities more in control of planning decisions which affect them and drive better outcomes on the thing\u2019s communities care most about: the design of development, infrastructure delivery, the environment and their local neighbourhoods.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4032", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stuart Andrew"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Pudsey"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stuart Andrew"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-06-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-06-27T15:11:53.61Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "211"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Planning: Reform"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress he has made on reforming the planning system.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4645", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Emma Hardy"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Emma Hardy"} ], "uin" : "900735"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1483404", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1483404/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The identification and justification for Opportunity Areas in the London Plan is a matter for the Mayor, and for the independent examiners who consider the draft proposals which it contains. It is, though, important that London does as much as it can to address its housing requirements.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4032", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stuart Andrew"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Pudsey"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stuart Andrew"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-07-05T16:08:15.553Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "211"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Housing: Romford"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will hold discussions with the Mayor of London on the reasons for which Romford is deemed an Opportunity Area within the London Plan and therefore required to accommodate an additional 5,000 new homes.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1447", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Rosindell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Rosindell"} ], "uin" : "25755"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1483415", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1483415/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "