LANDLORDS will be offered £5,000 incentives to get their properties into shape and help cut the housing waiting list in Rochford.

The council has launched the scheme which it believes will also, in turn, improve neighbourhoods throughout the district.

In 2016, the council offered property owners a £1,000 incentive to restore empty homes for a limited time period, but have now upped the offer as part of the new scheme.

There are currently 220 homes in the district recorded as empty, 31 of which have been so for more than five years.

At the same time, there are more than 700 people on the waiting list for a house, including hundreds of families in need of permanent accommodation.

The council has stated it is committed in bringing these homes back into use and help meet the local housing need.

It is hoped the scheme will reduce homelessness in the district, improve the overall appearance of the area, and reduce negative aspects such as flytipping and anti-social behaviour.

Financial assistance is available to bring long-term empty properties back into use, offering property owners a £5,000 conditional ‘Empty Homes Grant’ which can be used to kick-start works which will return a property back into use.

Mike Webb, Rochford District Council’s councillor responsible for the community, said: “Not only are empty homes a loss of valuable housing, but they can impact on our local communities by attracting flytipping and anti-social behaviour and bringing down property prices.

“The benefits of bringing empty properties back into use are two-fold; firstly it can help us to meet our local housing supply needs.

“And secondly it helps improve the overall appearance of the district.

“It can really make a difference to the way we feel about our town or village, when we see that all the houses on our street are in a good state of repair.”

Anyone interested in the scheme is now being asked to contact emptyhomes@rochford.gov.uk.

Report any empty properties at www.rochford.gov.uk/emptyhomes