, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 2
How many apply? What's the percentage of people who apply and actually go through with it?
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 2
It's a bit of a leading question. But I'm curious, because it's not often that there are pots of money in local government these days, and the fact that 90 per cent of it is unallocated suggests there's a problem, and whether that's a lack of EPOs, lack of…
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 2
Yes. In terms of funding, there's a big pot of money in terms of the empty homes grant, but only 10 per cent, is it, has been accessed. Would you consider that to be a failure?
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 2
That should be a recommendation.
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 2
Just to follow on from that, that pooling of expertise sounds very simple, and, I would imagine, very useful, because if you're working on your own in a council as an EPO, you've got no one to bounce off. So, in practice—. Obviously north Wales is doing it…
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 2
Thanks.
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 2
Can I pick up on that? Thanks for that example, because that was exactly what I wanted to ask about as well. Do you feel you're getting sufficient support from the Welsh Government to do that work? I know, as a Wrexham councillor in a previous life, Andrew…
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 2
Yes, to go on from Mike's point in terms of the stick, it serves two purposes—obviously, to bring a problematic long-term empty property back into use, but is it also a deterrent to others, if people in the borough know, ‘Oh, they will go down that route in…
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 2
Okay, thank you.
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 2
Well, yes, but we're asking a different group of people this time, so I will ask about whether you think the 22,500 figure that we're looking at is an accurate figure according to your expertise, because you're the front-line staff, and whether the Welsh…
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 1
But it's that starting one, isn't it? That's the problem.
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 1
Okay. Thanks.
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 1
Okay. Helen, you raised earlier the possibility of communities becoming involved, and we're talking to community-based solutions this afternoon, which is good. But, from your perspective, because we're not seeing results, I don't think—sufficient results—via…
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 1
Well, we've kind of touched on it already, haven't we? How do we make sure that we change the law to make things better? I think it's clear from the conversation we've had so far that there are things that need to happen, I would say, at a national level, to…
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 1
There's a pot of money there, the £50 million being perhaps the biggest. Only £5 million has been spent since it was opened. Does that suggest a failure? I don't want to be critical, because I know how difficult it is to engage with some landlords. In…
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 1
That was the reason I asked the original question about the data, because according to the data we've got here, Wrexham has got 400 empty properties. I know from being a councillor—. I was told last year that we had 1,616 empty properties. There's a huge…
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 1
Okay. Thank you.
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 1
Yes. It's a very simple question: do local authorities have enough capacity, and do we need to see an overarching body to support with those expert skills in terms of CPOs or legal skills? How do you improve the service at a local council level?
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 1
I'm sorry to hog you, but if I don't ask you now, I won't see you again. You've had quite a lot of success in terms of compulsory purchase elsewhere. I don't see Wales doing that to any great degree. I know it is a carrot-and-stick approach, but at the…
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 1
Could I just ask one supplementary to that?
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 1
Because what I'm seeing is a huge variation across Wales in terms of bringing things back into use. I'll refer back to my old council, Wrexham, which had zero properties brought back into use, others bringing 12 per cent, 14 per cent back into use. I think…
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 1
Andrew, would you have a comment on that? I know you gave us, via a Zoom link, when I was a councillor in Wrexham, a very informative update on compulsory purchase orders, I don't know—[Interruption.]—if it's particularly useful to discuss so early, but, from…
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 1
Yes, welcome and thanks for attending. This is something I feel very passionately about. That's why I wanted it on the agenda. And when you look at the figures—and I want to start with the figures, really, because there doesn't seem to be an accepted figure…
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Follow-up inquiry into Empty Properties: Evidence session 1
Shall I get the ball rolling?
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Diolch, Brif Weinidog. I'd like to declare an interest as co-founder of Saith Seren, an independent music venue. Many grass-roots venues are struggling. We've seen the closure of some much-loved venues across Cymru. We must do more to support this sector. As…
