Call For Action On Empty Properties

The government has been told to start looking at getting empty properties back into use before building homes on fields.

Deputy Montfort Tadier has lodged a proposition - he says an effective mechanism should be introduced to stop them from being left vacant for long periods of time.

A Scrutiny report from 2015 recommended that the Housing Minister look at bringing empty homes back into use 'using a variety of tools, including the introduction of a form of empty property tax.'

"More specifically, the panel suggested that it would be (a) realistic target to bring between 20 and 30 empty homes a year back into use.

If this, relatively modest target, had been adopted and implemented, we would have seen between 120 and 180 new homes back in use in the past 6 years."

Deputy Tadier is asking for action to finally be taken to implement that panel's recommendation.

"This was a very clear recommendation to try and put empty properties back into use.

Clearly having empty properties lying around is not good for anybody, doesn't benefit anybody, and at the same time, if the government are looking to effectively build on green fields, that's not good for the island's character generally either.

This is why I've lodged this at the moment. It's to say to government 'you really need to start looking at putting these properties back into the market before you start encroaching into green space.'"

Data from the last census in 2011 showed that 7% of private properties were empty.

If the proposition passes, the Housing Minister will be asked to bring forward some options for tackling the issue before the end of September 2022.

Deputy Tadier says these empty buildings should be seen as an opportunity to fulfil some of the current housing demand.

"This also applies to States-owned land as well. There is also commercial property out there which is derelict.

I would say it's important to look at converting those before touching any more of the green space because green space, especially in the semi-urban areas, is a real premium for people who live there and it would be a shame to see that developed unnecessarily when there is so much waste already in the built environment."

He's also suggesting that reasonable exemptions be looked at, such as:

• A second home if it's used for a certain number of months a year.
• Properties that are being repaired or maintained

The Reform deputy says a year empty seems like a reasonable starting point to take action.

"I think a year is probably a sufficient amount of time to say OK, there's something not quite right here. It's not being used as a holiday home.

There might be exemptions of course that need to be looked at, but we're not talking about short-term in between tenants or whilst you do your property up, we're talking about houses that we all know about that are derelict year after year and that is not a good thing."

It's scheduled for debate in the States Assembly at the end of March.