Nearly 300,000 empty houses in England

There are 288,763 private houses sitting empty in England, according to new research from the Halifax.

Today is the start of the Empty Homes National Week of Action (December 3rd – 7th) – an attempt to raise awareness of the 1.6 per cent of housing stock sitting empty across the country.

Over the previous decade house prices have been increasing dramatically, partially based on a shortage of supply, but homes have been sitting empty in all regions of the country.

Yet, the picture is more alarming in some areas than others.

Some 15 local authorities have what Halifax defines as 'high' levels of housing stock sitting empty (with more than three per cent of property not occupied).

These include Pendle, which has 6.2 per cent of its homes sitting empty, Manchester (5.7 per cent) and Liverpool (five per cent).

House prices in these fifteen areas were found to be an average of 17 per cent lower than the national level, while average wages are ten per cent lower than the national average.

However, the figures illustrate a long term fall in the number of properties sitting empty.

Halifax finds there was a 19,675 fall in the number of empty homes between April 2003 and April 2006, reducing the total of 308,438 by 1.8 per cent since April 2003.

"It is encouraging the number of empty homes in England has fallen by nearly 20,000 over the past three years, but it is also notable that the problem has become worse in many areas with the highest number of empty homes," said Martin Ellis, chief economist at Halifax.

"Rising property prices encourage the rejuvenation of empty homes in many parts of England. However, it is clear that intervention is also necessary," he added.

Halifax also reveals there are 89,953 vacant public dwellings, some 1.5 per cent of the public dwelling stock.

Twelve local authorities have more than five per cent of their public dwelling stock vacant, of which nine are in the north of England, with the highest proportions in Tyndale (7.9 per cent), Hartlepool (6.7 per cent) and North Norfolk (6.5 per cent).

Government action is needed to address the issue, according to Halifax.

"We would like the government to extend the five per cent rate of VAT for renovating an empty home to all properties vacant for more than six months, not just those properties that have been unoccupied for more than two years," said Mr Ellis.

The figures are based on data from the department for Communities and Local Government (CLG), as well as Halifax's own database, and relate to the most recent figures, compiled in April 2006.

Empty property is defined as homes which have been unoccupied for six months or more.