NEGLIGENT landlords who fail to improve their tenants’ living conditions now face the prospect of severe financial penalties after Barnsley Council’s ruling cabinet members approved a new enforcement plan.

At a meeting at Barnsley Town Hall on Wednesday, members opted to implement a civil penalties policy in order to tackle non-compliant landlords - a problem the council say has blighted some parts of the borough - which could result in a fine of £30,000.

The move - which is seen as a no-nonsense approach which will make landlords take action before fines are given - comes after a report revealed the full extent of the town’s long-term empty homes woes.

Figures show there are currently 1,485, including more than 500 which have stood empty for between two and ten years. One house in Shafton has been derelict for more than 12 years, with similar situations across the borough from Penistone to Grimethorpe.

Coun Jenny Platts, cabinet spokesman, said: “This is an opportunity for us to introduce a policy in accordance with legislative provision made under the Housing and Planning Act 2016.

“It is another tool to tackle non-compliant landlords and they harm they cause to their tenants. By introducing a civil penalties policy it allows the council to take a broader approach to non-compliance by imposing financial penalties against the landlord, commensurate with culpability and levels of harm caused to the tenants.

“It is a severe financial penalty which goes up to £30,000.”

The council says it gave consideration to the use of community protection notices (CPN) as an alternative but decided against it as the tool does not remedy non-compliance.

Income generated from the issuing of civil penalties in relation to housing offences will be ring-fenced, according to the council, to help towards improving the private rented sector.

A cabinet report added: “The policy reflects the requirements to use reform where it offers a suitable alternative to prosecution and potentially where previous prosecution has not yielded the required results, or where landlords have little regard for the law but place greater emphasis on monetary gain at the expense of the most vulnerable. There is a right of appeal against the council’s decision to impose a penalty, or its amount, within 28 days. An appeal will involve a hearing but a tribunal has the power to confirm or vary the size of the penalty imposed.”

Last month cabinet members outlined ambitious proposals to bring 300 empty homes back into use by 2021, which led to a sum of £1.5m being set aside to help the scheme and will involve the purchase of privately owned properties.

Latest performance figures show the council brought 171 homes back into use between April and December last year, reducing the number of long-term empty homes by four per cent - bucking the national trend which has seen a rise of six per cent.

Coun Roy Miller, cabinet spokesman, told the Chronicle: “We’ll break down the barriers that are stopping empty home owners doing what they need to do to return them back into use. The council would like to develop positive relationships with empty home owners and work with them to overcome the barriers they may face.”