The Empty Homes Awards 2014 attracted a wide range of impressive submissions. The Awards were presented at a ceremony sponsored by Grafton UK Ltd. at the Empty Homes Conference 2014 and over the coming weeks we look forward to highlighting the details of winning submissions on our website.
Empty Homes Practitioner of the Year 2014
Winner
The first award to be presented was for Empty Homes Practitioner of the Year. This award, sponsored by Grafton itself, is now the longest-standing award to be presented at our Conference and was won this year by Adam Cliff of Peterborough City Council. Adam had been highly commended in 2013 and with a further year's record of success under his belt was a worthy winner this time around.
The award submission, sent in by Sharon Malia, Housing Programmes Manager, reads as follows:
Adam Cliff joined Peterborough City Council as Empty Homes Officer in July 2011 following completion of his BA degree in Property Development & Architectural Design at Derby University where his interest in empty property and the challenges it poses was kick started. He continues to demonstrate enthusiasm and motivation in his role and has tackled some of the most difficult and challenging empty properties and owners and has had a high level of success in bringing the properties back into use through various mechanisms. 116 long term empty properties were brought back into use during 2012/2013 as a result of his intervention.
Adam played a key role in assisting Cross Keys Homes, the largest registered provider of social housing in Peterborough, with their bid for HCA funding and now identifies potentially suitable empty property, assesses the feasibility and negotiates with the owners in both Peterborough and for Huntingdonshire District Council, which the Cross Keys bid also included. Three properties have been leased to and two properties purchased by Cross Keys Homes under this partnership arrangement.
Adam also assisted the charity Hope into Action in their bid to DCLG’s Community Grants Programme and has identified empty properties that have been purchased and refurbished by the charity, who provide the homeless (ex-offenders, ex addicts, street-sleepers and those fleeing domestic violence) with a home and professional support combined with the friendship, positive peer group and community support from a local church. 4 properties have been purchased by the Charity utilising this funding.
Adam is continuing to use the service and threat of service of Empty Dwelling Management Orders to good effect. In a recent case, the property had been empty for approximately 8 years with the owner having moved to Greece at around that time. Adam used the tracing agents, Grafton Ltd to locate the owner to his current address. He was offered their services to sell the property on his behalf around 12 months ago. This offer was never taken up and the property remained empty. Submission of the EDMO application included a witness statement outlining Grafton’s intervention and involvement. Upon being asked for this, they tried the owner again and after explaining the circumstances and process of the EDMO application, he agreed once again to sell the property. Knowing that the owner had not returned a signed agreement previously, it was requested that the agreement be returned within the hour, which was received. The property has now been cleared of the owner’s possessions in preparation for sale and should be marketed for auction by Savilles of London in mid-June. The EDMO application will be revoked once the property is placed on the open market.
Adam is an innovative thinker and has worked closely with the Peterborough Property Investors Group which brings together approximately 70 property investors and developers. He provides group members with a bi-monthly update on the current empty homes position with a list of links to potential empty properties in the city currently up for sale.
Adam is always willing to take on new challenges and, as well as tackling long term empty property in the city, is also the lead officer for landlord accreditation which the Council has adopted in partnership with the National Landlords Association. He has also achieved the accreditation level required to carry out Energy Performance Certificate assessments and offers these to owners and landlords at very competitive rates. Adam offers the complete service and takes every opportunity to educate and inform all those with whom he comes into contact about the importance of getting empty property back into use.
As well as providing an excellent service to Peterborough City Council and working with Huntingdonshire District Council on the Cross Keys Empty Homes Partnership, he provides an overseeing case management role for staff responsible for empty homes within Fenland District Council. This has built in extra capacity within that authority as Adam can advise and manage the most complex cases for that Authority. He has also shared best practice, procedures and standard documentation with the Housing Officer in Rutland District Council for which Peterborough City Council delivers a shared service agreement.
Adam was ideally placed therefore to develop and chair the East of England Empty Homes Forum which includes Peterborough CC, Fenland DC, Rutland DC, South Cambridgeshire DC, East Cambridgeshire DC, Cambridge CC and South Holland DC. The inaugural meeting was held in October 2013 and further meetings are planned on a six monthly basis.
Adam is a valuable team member and his enthusiasm, “can do” approach, and willingness to take on new challenges is reaping real rewards for the Council.
[Below - Mark Byrne of Grafton presents award to Adam Cliff]
Highly Commended
A further Highly Commended award was made to Elizabeth McCloskey, a Technical Officer at Sefton Council. Judith Taggart, a lawyer at Sefton, provided the submission which included a case history supplied by Elizabeth. Judith's submission in support of Elizabeth read as follows:
I work closely with her [Elizabeth] offering legal support and can honestly say that bringing empty homes back into use is her passion. She is 100% dedicated to working with owners and will always go that extra mile to help, as is illustrated by the example given below. Elizabeth believes that a key factor in bringing empty homes back into use is developing a good relationship with the owner and through the rapport she develops with empty home owners, solutions that are often forthcoming without ever having to resort to enforcement options.
Example:
51 Grantham Road – Matchmakers Scheme – as told in Elizabeth’s words:
This property was first brought to my attention at the end of 2011 following a complaint from the neighbouring property alleging a statutory nuisance. I Worked informally with the owner, and established that the property was causing dampness to the neighbouring property. As the owner lived In Swansea, South Wales, I wanted to help him as best I could, so he sent me the keys for the property and I facilitated access to the property for different contractors to get quotes. The owner agreed a contractor, and whilst works was ongoing to remove the statutory nuisance I met the contractor onsite allowing access and overseeing works.
It was the intention of the owner to renovate the property and move in with his wife. The renovation works were ongoing.
In October 2013 I did a Council Tax check and saw that the owner had not moved back into the property as he had hoped. I contacted the owner, he informed me that the renovations works were almost finished but due to unfortunate personal circumstances himself and his wife were unable to move into the property. He had the property advertised for sale with an estate agents, but didn’t have very much interest.
I made the owner aware of the Council Matchmakers Scheme (which I have set up), and told him I could help advertise the property. I advertised the property for sale on the 29th October 2013. A sale was agreed on the 5th December 2013 and completed on the 23rd December 2013. This was the email from the owner
“ Hello Elizabeth
Just to say the property has now been sold, with completion yesterday afternoon. I cannot thank you enough for the help you have been in all this.
With kind regards and happy Christmas”
o0o
I believe this illustrates Elizabeth’s personal touch and also her persistence in wanting to try and find solutions to this problem property, being sensitive to family issues. She also organises key events in Sefton’s empty homes calendar, such as the recent open event for home owners in January 2014, which proved to be a great success. Please see attached feedback from the event.
I have no hesitation in nominating Elizabeth as she can always be relied upon to be thorough, tenacious, imaginative and sensitive, all traits invaluable when working as an empty homes practitioner.
Pictured below is Elizabeth receiving her award from Mark Byrne of Grafton UK Ltd.
Highly Commended
A further Highly Commended award was made to Elizabeth McCloskey, a Technical Officer at Sefton Council. Judith Taggart, a lawyer at Sefton, provided the submission which included a case history supplied by Elizabeth. Judith's submission in support of Elizabeth read as follows:
I work closely with her [Elizabeth] offering legal support and can honestly say that bringing empty homes back into use is her passion. She is 100% dedicated to working with owners and will always go that extra mile to help, as is illustrated by the example given below. Elizabeth believes that a key factor in bringing empty homes back into use is developing a good relationship with the owner and through the rapport she develops with empty home owners, solutions that are often forthcoming without ever having to resort to enforcement options.
Example:
51 Grantham Road – Matchmakers Scheme – as told in Elizabeth’s words:
This property was first brought to my attention at the end of 2011 following a complaint from the neighbouring property alleging a statutory nuisance. I Worked informally with the owner, and established that the property was causing dampness to the neighbouring property. As the owner lived In Swansea, South Wales, I wanted to help him as best I could, so he sent me the keys for the property and I facilitated access to the property for different contractors to get quotes. The owner agreed a contractor, and whilst works was ongoing to remove the statutory nuisance I met the contractor onsite allowing access and overseeing works.
It was the intention of the owner to renovate the property and move in with his wife. The renovation works were ongoing.
In October 2013 I did a Council Tax check and saw that the owner had not moved back into the property as he had hoped. I contacted the owner, he informed me that the renovations works were almost finished but due to unfortunate personal circumstances himself and his wife were unable to move into the property. He had the property advertised for sale with an estate agents, but didn’t have very much interest.
I made the owner aware of the Council Matchmakers Scheme (which I have set up), and told him I could help advertise the property. I advertised the property for sale on the 29th October 2013. A sale was agreed on the 5th December 2013 and completed on the 23rd December 2013. This was the email from the owner
“ Hello Elizabeth
Just to say the property has now been sold, with completion yesterday afternoon. I cannot thank you enough for the help you have been in all this.
With kind regards and happy Christmas”
o0o
I believe this illustrates Elizabeth’s personal touch and also her persistence in wanting to try and find solutions to this problem property, being sensitive to family issues. She also organises key events in Sefton’s empty homes calendar, such as the recent open event for home owners in January 2014, which proved to be a great success. Please see attached feedback from the event.
I have no hesitation in nominating Elizabeth as she can always be relied upon to be thorough, tenacious, imaginative and sensitive, all traits invaluable when working as an empty homes practitioner.
Pictured below is Elizabeth receiving her award from Mark Byrne of Grafton UK Ltd.