Lib Dem councillors call for overhaul of strategy to tackle long-term empty homes

Liberal Democrats on East Cambridgeshire District Council have proposed a major refresh of the council’s approach to tackling long-term empty homes, demanding a renewed commitment to bring wasted housing back into use and support communities affected by neglected properties.

A motion to the council’s Full Council meeting on Thursday 20 November, submitted by Liberal Democrat councillors Mark Inskip (Sutton) and Christine Colbert (Ely West), highlights the scale of the issue and sets out a comprehensive plan to modernise the district’s empty homes policies.

Cllr Mark Inskip says:“The number of homes sitting empty for more than six months has remained between 470 and 550 for several years. It is totally wrong that hundreds of properties are lying unused across the district at a time of growing local housing need, and blighting local communities.”

Cllr Christine Colbert adds:“The Council’s current Empty Homes Strategy dates back nearly twenty years. Our proposal calls for a new, modernised strategy that uses the full range of tools available—from support for owners to proportionate enforcement—to get homes lived in again.”

The proposal directs officers to develop a new Empty Homes Strategy with clear district-wide targets, resources to support this work, and an annual public reporting process.