Empty to Plenty brings houses back into occupation

Bury is playing its part in bringing up to 900 empty homes in Greater Manchester back to life by March 2015.

Under the Empty to Plenty campaign, the ten Greater Manchester councils are working with the Homes and Communities Agency and housing associations to bring much needed properties back into use and this partnership is now set to be extended beyond March 2015.

Bury Council, in partnership with Six Town Housing and St Vincent’s Housing Association, has purchased 17 properties using HCA funding, with 35 more in the pipeline by March 2015. Furthermore, by taking a focused approach to empty properties and working with their owners, more than 75 properties have been brought back into use.

Councillor Rishi Shori, deputy leader of Bury Council, said: “This campaign and funding, together with a local focus on this issue, has already transformed around 100 empty properties in Bury, providing a boost to the economy, removing blight from local neighbourhoods and increasing the supply and quality of affordable housing for people who need it. Extending this work beyond March 2015 is good news as it enables us to continue this vital work in Bury and across Greater Manchester.”

Sue Derbyshire, leader of Stockport Council and chair of the Greater Manchester Planning and Housing Commission, said: “Government funding and advice and support for empty property owners has helped transform 900 properties across Greater Manchester for families who really need them. GMCA agreed on Friday to extend their partnership working on empty homes beyond the end of March 2015.”

Marie Hodgson, the HCA’s head of area for Greater Manchester, said: “Bringing empty homes back into use provides both much-needed affordable housing and visible benefits to the local community. It’s great to hear about the positive impact our investment is making and to know that many more families in areas across Greater Manchester will be moving into refurbished homes in the coming months.”

For more information on the Empty to Plenty scheme, go to http://www.agma.gov.uk/what_we_do/planning_housing_commission/empty-to-plenty/index.html

ENDS

Press release issued: 10 December 2014.

Note to editors:

  
• More information about empty homes week can be found athttp://www.ehnetwork.org.uk/node/2117
 
• The numbers of empty homes have declined dramatically in Greater      Manchester in recent years — they peaked in 2008 at 57,000 and by 2013      (latest figures) have fallen to 37,000. This drop is almost entirely in      homes that were empty longer than six months.
 
• With the help of Government programmes, around 900 empty homes will      have been brought back into use in Greater Manchester by March 2015. The      Empty to Plenty campaign was launched in September 2013 by the Greater      Manchester Combined Authority.