A STAGGERING 2,600 homes in Barnsley are standing empty according to figures revealed under the Freedom of Information Act ahead of Empty Homes Week.
The figure includes 1,736 homes which have veen empty for six months or longer. Barnsley Council says it is supporting Empty Homes Week which starts on Monday with the aim of raising awareness of empty properties and how owners and neighbours can work with the council to get them back into use.
In the summer the Chronicle revealed more than 300 homes had been empty for more than three years, almost 200 have been empty for five years and a whopping 57 had been unoccupied for ten or more years.
Those figures were out of a total of 2,511 empty homes. But according to the latest figures that total has risen further and now stands at 2,679.
Of those, a third - 874 - are in the town centre areas, but there are also high concentrations of empty homes in the Dearne (342), Darton (201), Wombwell (194), and Hoyland (164).
Unsurprisingly the more traditionally affluent areas of the borough have the lowest concentrations of empty homes, with just 12 in Cawthorne, three in Stainborough and just one in Billingley.
Barnsley Council says it has a dedicated team who can offer free advice and support to owers of empty homes about their options. These include handling legal issues including probate, accessing grants and interest-free loans to bring properties back into use, advice on how to become a successful landlord, and information on the council purchasing the property at market value in order for it to be let.
Council spokesman Coun Roy Miller said the council has statutory powers to deal with properties in poor condition, but that officers were keen to work with owners to help re-let, reoccupy or sell before getting to that stage.
He said where offers of voluntary help fail, a range of enforcement action may be taken by the council to ensure the property is brought back into use.
“We want to encourage people to get in touch if they know of an empty property that is causing a problem in their local neighbourhood or if they are an owner of an empty property,” said Coun Miller.
“When an empty property is brought back into use everyone can benefit. It provides a warm, affordable home when housing is in short supply, and it helps the owner to regain a valuable asset.”
The council’s empty homes team will be in Barnsley Library, outside the cafe, next Saturday, Saturday October 28, from 10am to 1pm holding an empty homes dropin session.
They will be able to provide advice and answer any questions relating to empty properties. To find out what help is available or to report an empty property visit barnsley.gov.uk/emptyhomes
