PROBLEMS tracking down absentee homeowners in Blackburn with Darwen are hindering bids to bring empty properties back into use, a council chief has claimed.

Work is ongoing to tackle the number of long-term empty properties, vacant for six months or more, across the borough.

In October last year, when the most recent count was taken, there were 2,838 vacant homes in Blackburn with Darwen – one in every 21 houses in the area.

Of those, 1,132 were classed as long-term vacancies, meaning that they had been unoccupied for at least six months.

The problem of empty homes in Blackburn with Darwen has improved in recent years.

In 2008, when the number of vacant properties peaked nationwide, there were 3,643 in the area.

Growth director Simon Jones told a meeting of the authority's audit and governance committee: “There’s not much we can do about Brexit or a downturn in the economy but that’s a risk for everyone so I won’t worry about things we can’t control.

“One big risk is how government controls payments around new homes bonuses.

“The other part of risk is around long-term empty properties.

"Part of the criteria for bonuses is around long-term empties which is a home empty for six months or more and does not qualify for any exemption.

“One of our teams is focused on that and making sure we identify properties and working with landlords to bring as many of these properties back into use as possible.

“Sometimes we can’t find the owners and sometimes it becomes apparent they are not on these shores.

“We have a premium charge for long-term empties but collection of it can be quite challenging.

“We can use CPO powers because we want to make sure these properties don’t become a blight on the neighbourhood.

“Because government demands it we are trying to keep the number of long-term empties as low as possible.

“There are typically six per year where we go through the CPO process because we don’t want these properties to become a problem.”

Currently there are a number of course of action available to the council if a property remains for more than six months.

A notice can be served to ensure the owner brings the property up to standard.

The council can apply for an empty dwelling management order, enforced sale of property or demolition order, as well as pursuing a compulsory purchase order.

Through the New Homes Bonus scheme introduced in 2011, councils earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back into use as for building a new one.

Since 2013, councils have been able to charge a 50 per cent premium on the council tax bills of owners of homes empty for two years or more.

A total of 291 out of 326 councils applied an empty homes premium in 2017/18.

All but 3 are charging the premium at the maximum 50 per cent rate.

Earlier this year, the government announced an amendment that would allow councils to triple the council tax on homes left empty for five to 10 years and quadruple it on those empty for more than a decade.

Homes which have been empty for between 2 and 5 years would still be subject to the Council Tax bill being doubled under the proposal.

Decisions on whether to charge a premium, and the exact rates to be charged will remain a matter for councils, taking local circumstances into account.

It is anticipated that councils will be able to charge 100 per cent premiums from April 2019, 200 per cent premiums from April 2020 and 300 per cent premiums from 2021.