Title

HOUSING

Cable calls for empty homes powers

Lib Dem leader Vince Cable has said councils need to be given the powers and resources to bring empty homes back into use.

Lib Dem leader Vince Cable has said councils need to be given the powers and resources to bring empty homes back into use.

Mr Cable's call came after research by the Lib Dems found more than 11,000 homes have stood empty for at least 10 years.

A Freedom of Information Act request revealed that more than 216,000 homes across the country have been empty for six months or more.

The research also discovered that only 19 of the 247 councils that responded to the request had used powers to take over these empty properties in the past five years.

Mr Cable said: ‘The Government needs to urgently review the current system, which is clearly not working.

‘Councils need to be given the powers and resources to bring empty homes back into use .

‘This must form part of a wider package to tackle the housing crisis, including building more homes on unused public sector land and clamping down on land banking.'

HOUSING

Reorganisation, Reform and devolution

By Ann McGauran | 02 October 2025

Change is rippling through local government, from structural reform and new combined authorities, to health integration and the push for financial sustainabi...

HOUSING

Dear secretary of state – part 2

By Steve Leach | 01 October 2025

As the new secretary of state Steve Reed settles into his new role, Steve Leach and Colin Copus tell him that now is not a good time for a ‘disruptive, expen...

HOUSING

LGA: Councils need more than a decade to reach decent homes standard

By Neil Merrick | 24 September 2025

Councils should be given up to 12 years to bring social housing up to an enhanced decent homes standard (DHS) and even then the cost may mean they build fewe...

HOUSING

Stronger devo can solve the London problem

By Patrick Diamond | 23 September 2025

Relationships between the capital and Whitehall may have improved but its underpowered mayoralty requires urgent fiscal and planning autonomy, argue Jack Sha...

Popular articles by Laura Sharman