A Private Member’s Bill has been introduced in Parliament proposing the removal of council tax valuation exemptions for properties that are empty or derelict.
The Bill seeks to address long-standing concerns about the number of unused and neglected properties across England, including in Nuneaton. Under the current system, some properties, particularly those deemed uninhabitable, can remain outside the council tax valuation list, resulting in no council tax liability. The proposed legislation would require these properties to be entered onto the valuation list and assessed in the same way as occupied homes.
Local authorities across the country report that long-term empty properties can have a significant negative impact on neighbourhoods, contributing to visual decline, community frustration, and pressure on housing supply. Bringing empty and derelict properties back into the valuation system is intended to support wider efforts to encourage renovation, discourage prolonged vacancy, and bring homes back into use.
Speaking in Parliament, the MP for Nuneaton highlighted the impact of empty properties on both high streets and residential areas, particularly in the context of housing need and access to home ownership. The proposed reforms aim to modernise registration and exemption rules, providing an opportunity to address these issues more effectively. In her speech to Parliament, the local MP was quoted as saying
“Residents in Nuneaton have grown all too used to high streets and residential areas littered with empty properties. Shuttered up shops and empty storefronts are a major issue on local high streets. Vacant houses in disrepair are a real problem for the hundreds of residents on the waiting list for housing. For the young families trying to get onto the property ladder. Updating our current registration and exemption rules will provide us with the opportunity to tackle this”.
The Bill has received backing from Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, which has committed to tackling empty properties locally. The Council has indicated that legislative change would strengthen local authorities’ ability to intervene, helping to return empty homes to occupation while reducing associated pressures on public services. Leader Cllr Chris Watkins said:
“Nuneaton and Bedworth’s Labour-led Council is committed to tackling Empty Properties locally. Working with Nuneaton MP Jodie Gosling we are now looking at ways to take this work to the next level. By changing the law regarding empty properties, we will give local authorities more powers to tackle this issue, pushing properties into use and occupation whilst helping to end the drain on fire, rescue, and police services.”
Data on the number of empty properties is provided by Action on Empty Homes. Further information on the Bill and the Council’s local initiatives is available via the relevant parliamentary and council channels.
A video of the bill presentation to parliament can be found here.
