Issue - meetings

'No Use Empty' Property Initiative Top-Up Loan Agreement

Meeting: 11/11/2019 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 58)

58 ‘NO–USE EMPTY’ PROPERTY INITIATIVE TOP-UP LOAN AGREEMENT pdf icon PDF 61 KB

To consider the attached report of the Head of Regulatory Services.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Regulatory Services and the Housing Improvement Officer presented the report on the ‘No use empty’ property initiative.

 

The Council had worked in partnership with KCC to deliver its No Use Empty (NUE) Home scheme which provided interest free loans limited up to a maximum of £25,000 per unit to bring empty properties back into use.

 

The Cabinet on 3 July 2017 approved a revised Housing Assistance Policy which included an element relating to Empty Homes in form of an additional ‘top up’ loan of £15,000 per unit for owners who obtained a Kent County Council (‘KCC’) No Use Empty loan. The budget initially allocated for the ‘top up’ loan scheme was £300,000. However, due to the success of the scheme a recommendation to further increase the funding by a further £300,00 (for a total of £600,000) was made to the Cabinet.

 

In response to a question, Members were advised that the scheme had been particularly targeted at Dover. The scheme was unrelated to the enforcement work being conducted under s.215 notices.

 

The Chairman welcomed the success of the scheme.

 

RESOLVED:   That Cabinet Decision CAB81 be endorsed as followed:

 

(a)   That the existing commitment of £300,000 for top-up loans under Kent County Council’s ‘No Use Empty’ scheme be supplemented by a further £300,000 to bring the total availability up to £600,000.

 

(b)   That the Head of Regulatory Services be authorised, in consultation with the Solicitor to the Council, to sign an agreement with Kent County Council allowing it to continue to administer the funding on behalf of Dover District Council.

 

(c)   That all monies received from the repayment of loans be used for further top-up loans under Kent County Council’s ‘No Use Empty’ property initiative.


Meeting: 04/11/2019 - Cabinet (Item 81)

81 'No Use Empty' Property Initiative Top-Up Loan Agreement pdf icon PDF 61 KB

To consider the attached report of the Head of Regulatory Services.

 

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regulatory Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was agreed:

 

(a)  That the existing commitment of £300,000 for top-up loans under Kent County Council’s ‘No Use Empty’ scheme be supplemented by a further £300,000 to bring the total availability to £600,000.

 

(b)  That the Head of Regulatory Services, in consultation with the Solicitor to the Council, be authorised to sign an agreement with Kent County Council allowing it to continue to administer the funding on behalf of Dover District Council.

 

(c)   That all monies received from the repayment of loans be used for further top-up loans under Kent County Council’s ‘No Use Empty’ property initiative.