To seek approval of the Empty Property Strategy for Herefordshire, for the purposes of the report an empty property is a residential dwelling as per information provided to the Empty Property Officer by Herefordshire Council’s Council Tax department.

That:

The Empty Property Strategy for Herefordshire, set out in appendix A, be approved.

Not have a strategy and without intervention the current number of empty properties risk falling into disrepair. The strategy gives the authority more power when looking to obtain a CPO - Compulsory Purchase Order or to assist colleagues in Environmental Health when they give an IMO - Interim Management Order