Revealed: The number of long term empty houses in Newport

It is leaving many struggling to get onto the property ladder.

But even then, those lucky enough to be in a position to purchase property can find themselves in a whole new struggle – with demand exceeding supply.

This problem is often found here in Newport, where local commuter links to both Bristol and Cardiff become less of a blessing, and more of a curse.

There are attempts being made to provide more accommodation in the city, with city centre flats plans, and a large number of housing developments well under way in the suburbs – often on old industrial sites such as Whiteheads, Novelis and Llanwern Steelworks.

But, while all of these schemes take time and money to complete, there are well over 1,000 properties standing empty in Newport.

Why are there so many empty houses in Newport?

According to information obtained via the Freedom of Information Act, the Argus can reveal that at the last count, there were 1,283 long term empty properties in the Newport City Council area – as of 2020.

This figure was an increase on the previous year, when there were 1,133 empty homes in the city.

A long term empty house is defined as a property which is liable to pay council tax, which has stood empty for six months or more.

It is worth pointing out that not every empty house is classed as being a long term empty property.

For example, second homes and holiday homes are not classed as such, neither are student accommodation, property owned my military or emergency services, council or social houses, or the crown estate.

This essentially just leaves privately-owned houses which are unoccupied.

Sometimes there is a valid reason, as a property might be awaiting probate, on other occasions, occupation might be prohibited by law.

But in other cases, houses are simply just left to deteriorate.

Is this just a Newport problem?

While there is certainly a problem right here on our doorstep, it would be unfair to call it a Newport problem.

It is clear to see that there is similar struggles in local authority areas across Wales.

Nationwide, it is estimated that there are around 28,000 long term empty homes – according to our sister title, The National.

While Newport is one of 10 council areas where the number of empty homes is greater than 1,000, relative to the number of houses in this area, that probably isn’t a surprise.

In October 2019, the Senedd’s Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee met to discuss empty properties in Wales.

John Griffiths, MS for Newport East, chaired the committee, and in a report following the meeting, he wrote: “Many owners do not wish to see their properties lying idle and should be supported to bring them back into use.

John Griffiths MS

“When attempts to tackle the problem informally fail, local authorities have powers to deal with empty properties; but this isn’t straightforward. It is time consuming and there is no certainty of it being successful.

“Enforcement action should be a viable option in a higher number of cases.”

And, while it is clearly a significant problem, work is being done to salvage the situation – though it appears to be a tough task.

What is being done about empty houses in Newport?

The Argus asked Newport City Council to explain its stance on long-term empty property in the city, and what is being done about it.

A council spokeswoman revealed that in Newport, the very presence of these empty houses causes much more of a headache than simply the case of it being wasted housing stock.

It was claimed that long term empty properties “can have an adverse effect on local communities”.

According to Mr Griffiths, long term empty properties “attract anti-social behaviour, pose environmental health problems and contribute to a general decline in their neighbourhoods.”

But, there are a number of schemes in place to bring such properties back to life.

Owners of empty homes can apply for interest-free ‘houses into homes’ loans via their council – up to a maximum of £25,000.

This was set up with the understanding that many homes which have been left empty deteriorate until they reach a state where they are no longer fit for occupation.

One example of what happens when a house is left for year-after-year

But, it is undoubtably a slow process.

Of the 1,133 empty homes in Newport in 2019, just six were returned to use.

Meanwhile, in 2020, 11 of the 1,283 empty houses in the city were brought back into use.

In other cases, enforcement action can be carried out.

The council spokeswoman said: “(NCC) is committed to acting firmly, including enforcing sales, where owners fail to take responsibility for their properties.

“If the council carries out statutory works and the owner fails to pay the cost, a court order is not always necessary to enforce the sale.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Jane Mudd, leader of Newport City Council, said: “We are committed to tackling the problem of long-term empty homes to minimise their impact on neighbours and local communities as well as to meet the rising housing need.

“We are taking strong action where necessary, including enforced sales, and a council tax discount is no longer given for such properties except for certain exemptions such as the owner going into residential care.

“However, wherever possible, we want to help owners bring houses back into use by offering expert advice and through initiatives such as our improvement loans scheme.

“The council’s first step would be to approach the owners of an empty house which is causing issues to neighbours and the wider community to ask them to remedy the problems.         .

“But, if necessary, we will use our statutory powers.  Too many houses are empty in the city for no good reason, and we are doing everything we can within our powers to turn them into homes for individuals and families who need them.”

Cllr Jane Mudd

And so, it is clear to see that there is no easy fix for this.

But, just like turning an oil tanker, it can be done – albeit slowly.

In recent months, one long term empty property in Newport was sold at auction, with the council having worked with the old owner, who then voluntarily placed the city centre premises on the market.

Now under the ownership of somebody new, there is hope that this house could soon become a home for someone in need.