Plans to bring empty homes back into use in North East Lincolnshire
he plan could see empty properties refurbished and used as social housing
North East Lincolnshire Council is to develop a programme to acquire long-term empty homes to bring back into use and to look at becoming a social housing provider. At its latest full council meeting, a series of proposed actions to tackle the borough’s empty homes were put forward by the Labour opposition group.
These included a programme to acquire homes that have been vacant for six months or longer, an Empty Homes Regeneration Fund to refurbish acquired empty homes to high standards, and a feasibility report on the council becoming a social housing provider again, either directly or through a wholly-owned housing company. If such a move occurred, the refurbished empty homes bought by the council would then be allocated following the council’s housing allocation policy and the likes of care leavers, veterans and victims of domestic abuse prioritised.
Labour’s proposal was unanimously supported. The fund proposed is to source cash from external grants, Government funding, borrowing where appropriate and property income receipts.
Empty homes ‘a blight’
“It’s been a good couple of decades since our local authority and social housing linked back together, and I think that it is time we went back there,” said Labour group leader Cllr Emma Clough (Heneage Ward), proposing the motion. The council removed itself as a social housing provider in 2005 when Shoreline Housing Partnership emerged to take over the local authority’s approximately 7,600 council homes at the time.
After a later merger, this is known today as Lincolnshire Housing Partnership (LHP). Councillors in the debate expressed a desire to push it harder on its work on the likes of restoring empty homes in its stock.
Conservative group leader Cllr Philip Jackson (Waltham) said he was “more than happy to support the general thrust” of the motion, later adding of empty homes: “It is a blight on certain parts of the borough, there’s absolutely no doubt about it.”
Cllr Steve Beasant (Liberal Democrat – East Marsh) also described empty homes as “a blight” and pointed out the fly-tipping that can be associated with them. “You get a long-term empty property, you finish up with about four tonnes of waste in the rear of it.”
“What’s happening in North East Lincolnshire is indefensible,” said Cllr Les Bonner (Independents for North East Lincolnshire Group – Yarborough). “We have thousands of residents waiting for a home.
“Families in crisis, young people leaving care, veterans who served this country, victims fleeing violence, disabled residents stuck in unsuitable accommodation, and yet over 1,300 homes in this borough are sitting empty. Rotting, attracting crime, dragging neighbourhoods down and reminding everyone that we have allowed this problem to fester for years.”
“It’s a failure we have the power and responsibility to put right,” he said. Cllr Paul Henderson (Independent Group – Yarborough) was one of several councillors to acknowledge the complexity in bringing empty homes back into use, mentioning a case in his ward he had pursued.
“It was a full-time job chasing anyone to get it done, and my sense is that was due to the national framework, rather than things we can implement locally.” He pleaded for officers to consider the national issues in their feasibility report.
Cllr Henderson also praised in the debate a community organisation’s work in restoring empty homes. “One of the most inspiring things about our town is the work East Marsh United have done to bring back their streets in the Marsh. They’ve done a fantastic job with their community ISA, operating as a responsible landlord, doing up houses in hard-to-let areas.”
A proposed Conservative amendment called to make more explicit the need for a business case for each empty home’s restoration by the council, and sought to reference the Government-set annual new housing target of 622 homes for North East Lincolnshire as “unrealistic and undeliverable” and make clear restoring empty homes does not count towards this. It was defeated by 27-7 votes.
In 2023/24, when Equans was in charge of council housing elements, there was a target to restore back into use each year 40 empty homes in the borough. A council spokesperson has confirmed there is no current numerical target but restoring long-term empty homes remains an important priority. Officers are working on the new empty homes policy to ensure every opportunity is sought to bring empty homes back into use.