South Kesteven District Council makes progress with ‘enormous backlog’ of empty homes but Conservative councillors believe more still needs to be done

A council says it has made huge progress dealing with an ‘enormous backlog’ of empty homes - but some members believe more still needs to be done.

South Kesteven District councillors Ben Green and David Bellamy have expressed concerns about unoccupied council-owned properties, known as voids.

The two Conservative councillors, who represent the Isaac Newton ward, allege a home in The Row, Rectory Lane, North Witham has been empty for more than 500 days.

The Conservative administration was in power until May last year, which means the property was empty for a number of months during the time the councillors’ party had control. A ‘rainbow’ cabinet is now in charge which is made up of independents, Liberal Democrats and Greens.

Coun Green said: “This property has been left to deteriorate for over 500 days now. It’s unacceptable.

“Families in our community urgently need homes, yet this one continues to decay. We must promptly sell these problem properties and put them to good use.

“The lack of responsiveness from the council is deeply concerning.

“We have a democratic mandate, yet our concerns are disregarded.

“It’s six months since we stood outside here with a first year birthday party balloon to mark a full year of vacancy and still nothing whatsoever has happened, as far as we know.”

According to Coun Bellamy the council has lost nearly £900,000 in rent in the past year from empty properties.

Cabinet member for housing, Coun Virginia Moran (Ind), said it is incorrect to claim nothing has been done to the North Witham property as following a survey, which showed repairing it is not economically viable, it was decided the property should be sold.

South Kesteven District Council has notified the Secretary of State, which it has to do ahead of selling a property, and is awaiting a response.

The money from the sale will be used to buy or build new homes.

Coun Moran said: “South Kesteven District Council now has in place an active social housing programme, providing new homes for those in need.

“In the last year alone we have acquired or are building more than 100 properties to boost our housing stock.

“In the past five years of the previous Conservative administration a total of only 42 properties were acquired.”

When the current administration was elected in May last year there were 158 empty properties in the district, and the average time that a property remained on the void list was 153 days.

At the end of June this was reduced to 107 void properties, with the average time on the void list down to 69 days.

Coun Moran said: “The housing team has made huge progress in dealing with the enormous backlog of both voids and repairs since May last year and will continue to do so.”