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E-Mail: Desmond.Kilroy@emptyhomes.com

Minutes of the London Empty Property Officers’ Forum

meeting held at:

The Conference Suite

The Association of London Government offices
59 ½ Southwark Street
London SE1 OAL (London Bridge Tube)

On Friday 24th February 2006

Present
Nick Caprara (NC) Chair, LB Harrow
Steve Bradly (SB), City of Westminster
Yonnette Roberts (YR), LB Havering
Chris Smith (CS), GLA
Jane McInerney (JMI), LB Richmond
Maxine Wilson (MW), LB Lambeth
Celia Esimaje (CE), LB Southwark
Michelle Williams (MW), LB Southwark
Janet Wade (JW), North London Sub-region
Nigel Ward (NW), LB Newham
Jane Hilton (JH), LB Islington
Joyce Amoating (JA), LB Camden
Paul Ahmed (PA), LB Waltham Fst
Nick Long (NL), LB Lewisham
Stephen Baker (SB), LB Sutton
Eoin Donnelly (ED), LB Hillingdon
Robin Seymour-Taylor (RST), LB Redbridge
Chris Vigar (CV), RB Kingston
Paul Palmer (PP), City of Westminster
Desmond Kilroy (DK), Empty Homes Agency
James Bull (JB), Empty Homes Agency
Peter Snell (PS), East London Renewal Parthership
Dianne Blazen (DB), LB Bexley
Anna Lee (AL), LB Bexley
Martin Perrigo (MP), LB Hammersmith & Fulham
Justine Dornan, (JD), RB Kensington & Chelsea
Jacqueline Connerky (JC), LB Ealing

Mark Grant (MG), Broadway Homelessness & Support

Helen Marks (HM), Government Office for London (GOL)
Janet Trench (JT), Housing Corporation, London Region

1. NC, Chair opened the meeting and welcomed those attending. The meeting was asked
to complete & return a questionnaire previously distributed by the EHA relating to future
LEPOF meetings.

2. Panel Speeches (handouts attached separately)

Helen Marks, GOL described the context of the London Housing Board Funding
Recommendations 2006-08: Sub-Regional Targeted Funding for Empty Properties. The
Recommendations reflect the boards recognition that empty property work is important and
include separate ‘pots’of funding for both empty property and decent homes standards over
the two years. £15million has been set aside for private empty property. Hardcopies of the
2005 London Housing Strategy are available from GOL. It was agreed by both the London
Housing Board and GLA that the targets included are realistic (refer to handouts). Proposals
were received from all five sub-regions totaling £16.75m for standard empty property work;
all proposals also included some funding to pilot schemes under new Housing Act
legislation. The Housing Boards recommendations incorporating the proposals are currently
with the ODPM for approval.

Janet Trench, Housing Corporation The London Housing Strategy has a target of public
sector voids being 1.5%. The HC aim to target £15m of Temporary Social Grant from the
affordable housing programme for 2006-08 primarily at bringing empty homes back into
use, in particular those that have been empty long term. RSLs are frequently accused of
selling off their empty property. RSLs in fact must consult with the local authority when a
sale is proposed although the local authority cannot veto the sale. There is the perception
that funding empty property work is essentially purchase and repair work. There are gaps in
terms of strategy; there is evidence that the most effective Empty Property programme have
a strong emphasis on enforcement.

Rob Miles, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Numerous plans mention empty homes,
recognizing that empty homes are very significant in national housing policy. The
government would like to see early successes on the Barker Review of Housing Supply
(actually published by the Treasury, not the ODPM) and especially in London. Empty
Property statistics have shown an overall steady downward trend since the mid nineties.
Current targets are very challenging and need to be matched by programmes. The London
Empty Property Forum is perhaps the most established compared with the regional forums
and it makes sense that London should lead on this agenda.
Empty Dwelling Management Orders’ (EDMOs) requirements now set out the categories of
exemption. In terms of leasehold property owners will be given two options. Putting a
property on the market will exempt it. The Bill is acting as an incentive, encouraging owners
to consider sale. Most Empty Property work is currently targeted towards voluntary leasing.
Marketing initiatives such as EMPRO have been very useful and cost effective. Home
Information packs will become compulsory next summer 2007.

Mark Grant, Broadway

Introduced the Broadway Single homeless housing project part of Homeless Charity
Broadway. Traditionally move on was seen as anti-private sector. The project is inviting the
London boroughs to approach them with awkward properties which are of no use to
boroughs – such as flats above shops which may suit single homeless people. For many
there is no other route out of homelessness. The project proposes a one stop shop, no
hassle service.

3. Q & A session

PS, ELRP. The partnership is on target for March 2007 with a wide variety of schemes. The
ELRP comprises typical regenerative schemes. Most local authorities want allocation rights
if they can get them. There is some struggle with what constitutes a five year lease in the
latest bids. How do we interpret the equivalent of a five year lease and not fall foul of the
criteria?
HM, GOL. In the Grant Criteria the London Housing Board through developing the five year
lease wanted to ensure a guarantee of return on investment in a property and prevent a
property falling empty again. As long as steps are undertaken by the sub-regions to ensure
empty properties were brought back into sustainable use for at least 5 years it is
not required that they necessarily obtained a lease to use them for private sector leasing.
Sub-regions could make proposals for a variation to the stated 'outcomes' which the LHB
would then consider.
PS, ELRP. Conditions attached to renovation grants (in East London) mean that when
people move on (before a lease expires) the grant can be reclaimed.
JW, NLSR. The North London Sub-region agree with the principle of “getting something
back”; some boroughs have reached saturation with Private Sector Leasing (PSL) and do
not want PSL to continue beyond 2010 and would rather now have the option of three year
leases.
PA, Waltham Fst. A lot of works in Waltham Fst. involve flats above shops. It is East
London policy to require nomination rights up to five years. There is a 15% reduction in rent
compared to market rents. The property can either be included as PSL or in the Rent
Deposit Scheme.
MP, H&F. Can the two types of funding be mixed through an RSL partnership?
HM, GOL. The issue is about ensuring that properties are not doubly counted.
JT, HC. There wouldn’t be a problem if a scheme was 25% GOL funded and 25% Housing
Corporation funded.
PS, ELRP. Highlighted the point that the overall aim is to ensure the long term use of
properties brought back.
JW, NLSR. Asked about Zone Agents.
JT, HC. Zone Agents develop and disseminate expertise.
JW, NLSR. LB Islington procurement requirements prevent private agreements; initiatives
require open, competitive procurement.
JT, HC. There should be a pool of expertise.
PS, ELRP. The issue with procurement requirements is about showing that you go for best
value for money.
CE, LB Southwark. Made the point that it was difficult to meet the suggested unit costs in
the (SE Regional) proposal, the costs of works on long term empties is a lot more that £24K
and asked whether other boroughs are able to do the works at the £12K level.
HM, GOL. The costs proposed refer to the regional housing pot contribution only; it is not
suggested that property is brought back into use at that level.
NW, LB Newham. Under LB Newham’s CPO programme refurbishment costs for a long
term empty 3 bed property average £80K. Also, LB Newham struggles to get RSLs to take
on street properties; will the Housing Corporation push RSLs in that direction?
JC, LB Ealing. Asked if some of the Capital be spent on staffing resources.
HM, GOL. Responded that it is capital funding only – i.e. local authorities will have to decide
what staffing resources they commit to their EP Programme.
NL, LB Lewisham. Asked whether under EDMO guidance/legislation a local authority can
protect their interest by placing a charge on the property – in the event of a sale.
RM, ODPM. Local Authorities will need to do some form of assessment. With an interim
order how much time is needed to recoup the costs needs to be worked out.
PS, ELRP. If costs cannot be recouped the expectation is that the CPO route is then taken.
RM, ODPM. It may be necessary to engage advisors – surveyors etc.
JB, EHA. Asked what is there to prevent an owner putting the property on the market at an
unreasonable price and avoiding a sale.
RM, ODPM. This will not prevent the local authority referring the case to Tribunal – which
will determine if asking prices are unreasonable.
CE, LB Southwark. Stated some properties being dealt with in LB Southwark are not
suitable for PSL and asked whether the Broadway scheme is up and running.
MG, Broadway The scheme is up and running; further information from
mark.grant@broadwaylondon.org.
CE, LB Southwark Reiterated the real costs of renovation and refurbishment as being
much higher than the £12,000 cited by the GLA study.
HM, GOL. The allocations will be confirmed later in the year.
JW, NLSR Pointed out that Decent Homes Standards vary from borough to borough; there
will be landlords who decide that it is not worthwhile to lease properties for social housing.
NW, LB Newham. The level of funding may mean that long term empties get ignored.
JW, NLSR The North London Sub-region is not using as a benchmark the level of £12,000
as an average cost for renovation work.
PS, ELRP. Empty Property work is mixed in with Decent Homes initiatives in the regions.
Only the North London Sub-Region has a distinct EP programme.
CS, GLA Confirmed that the GLA data is based on a survey of 15 boroughs’ stock condition
surveys and is an average of renovation costs.

The meeting subsequently closed; the next meeting will be held in September (date
determined by room availability).