Empty Dwelling Management Orders – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to help local authorities to bring derelict buildings back into use following changes in the administration of empty dwellings management orders.
Andrew Stunell: We have recently completed a consultation on the New Homes Bonus which includes the option of including empty homes within the scheme. This could provide local authorities with a powerful incentive to tackle empty homes as part of their overall approach to meeting housing need. We will also provide £100 million for housing associations and local authorities to bring over 3,000 empty homes back into use as affordable rented housing. We will also be reforming the Public Request to Order Disposal (PROD) process. It enables local authorities and citizens alike to ask for the Government's help to bring under or unused land and buildings, owned by various public bodies, back into use. The reforms will enable communities to have greater influence on shaping the future of their areas.