Pendle Council has seen a signifcant drop in its number of empties over the last few years, thanks in large part to its decision to appoint a dedicated empty homes officer.
According to the story in Pendle Today, a report to Pendle's Executive noted a 30% decline in the number of long-term empties. Councillor Joe Cooney, the Council Leader is quoted as saying
"since we appointed a dedicated Empty Homes Officer in 2009, there has been a marked increase in the number of empty houses brought back into use."