1,600 Shropshire homes are standing empty - and just one council officer is working on it
There are more than 1,600 long-term empty homes in Shropshire – but only one council officer is working to bring them back into use, it has been revealed.
Members of Shropshire Council's enterprise and growth scrutiny committee discussed the issue after Councillor Roger Evans raised concerns the county was falling behind national trends.
He asked members how many empty homes there are left in the county and what work was being carried out to bring them back into use.
The meeting heard there was only one officer working on the issue and Councillor Mal Price, portfolio holder for planning, housing, regulatory services and environment, said a report would be going to cabinet this summer to discuss the matter.
He said: "It is not as easy as a property is empty, we go in and say you have to bring it back into use. Likewise, just because it is empty doesn't mean it is a problem.
"But in some areas they are a problem. One in Market Drayton was built 25 years ago and for 24 years it remained empty."
The town is also believed to have the highest number of empty homes in the county.
Shropshire-wide, there are 1,615 long-term empty homes, and a further 463 properties exempt from paying council tax.
Councillor Evans, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, last week called on members to do more to fill the empty homes. He said that nationally, the number of long-term empty homes vacant for more than six months had fallen by 36 per cent since 2009. In Shropshire, the drop was just 21 per cent.
But despite the high figures, Councillor Price said work of officers in the community protection team last year resulted in 135 empty properties returned to use, as well as two new developments. This is estimated to bring in £163,485 to the council under a New Homes Bonus fund per year for four years.
Councillor Price said that it was important to spend money bringing certain properties back into use.
He said: "I don't think we have got the resources to do all the work we would like. Picking up the high profile cases will be useful. It is about putting the finance targets in the right places."
The issue will be looked at during a future cabinet meeting following a report drawn up by officers addressing the issue.
