Campaign targets financial support for empty home owners
No Use Empty, the initiative aimed at bringing empty properties in East Kent back into use, has appointed a Project Manager.
Susan Pledger will lead the new initiative which was launched in November last year by Kent County Council, in partnership with the four District Councils of Dover, Shepway, Swale and Thanet.
No Use Empty: the Kent Empty Property Initiative is a proactive campaign in response to the recurring problem of empty housing in East Kent, where there are currently around 3000 empty properties going to waste. It is hoped to roll out the campaign across all districts enabling it to tackle the issue of empty properties throughout Kent
Susan brings with her a wealth of experience in housing and area regeneration and renewal. She has over 20 years experience in local government, and has spent the last six years at Dover District Council. Susan will be responsible for working closely with the four District Council empty property officers to co-ordinate the campaign and deliver its objectives to help bring empty houses back into use. Although based at Kent County Council’s headquarters in Maidstone, Susan will be spending much of her time working across the four Districts.
Susan is delighted with her new role, she said: “The No Use Empty campaign is such an exciting, unique initiative which can make a real difference to bringing empty properties back into use across East Kent. Empty houses are a waste of a valuable housing resource, and deprive people of a much needed home.
“The key to the campaign is partnership. We have a great team on board, and we’re all looking forward to tackling the issue head-on and building on the excellent work of the empty homes officers across the four Districts”.
The campaign team is currently focusing on exploring the different options available to offer owners of empty houses financial support to help them bring their property back into use. Recent research shows that while the majority of empty properties in East Kent are in good condition, there are many which require repair work and renovation to bring them into a habitable condition.
The team is embarking on a consultation programme with property owners and developers to help gain a better understanding of the financial support required to turn these properties into homes.
The campaign is committed to working closely with owners and developers to reach a workable solution to help achieve the goal of bringing vacant properties back into use.
For more information on the No Use Empty initiative browse this site