A policy that will address the issue of bringing empty properties back into use is to be presented to Dumfries and Galloway Council next week, it has been announced.

The Scottish Government introduced regulations to allow local authorities to increase its council tax charges on properties that have been unoccupied for more than 12 months. This policy will outline how the Council will implement the Government's regulations.

In order to address the issue of long-term empty properties, the Council plans to introduce an increased council tax levy of 200% on such homes. There are almost 700 properties in the area that currently fall into this category. The Council has also acknowledged that not all property owners circumstances are similar, and as a result, a list of exemption criteria will be compiled. For example, this would apply to owners where properties that have been inherited and are still empty, being granted a further 12 months relief, as would applications being made – or recently granted – for planning permission.

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Leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council, Ronnie Nicholson commented: "Locally, we have more than 4,000 people on the housing waiting list. We want to support these people by getting more empty properties back into the housing stock so that we are able to address housing needs in Dumfries and Galloway.

"There has been a lot of premature comment about how the policy will work before it has even been implemented. However, we are a listening council and that is why a survey was sent to all the home owners that we think this new policy will affect.

"The purpose of the survey was to collect information on how the identified properties would be impacted by the introduction of these regulations. Based on what people have told us, Councillors will be asked to approve exemptions for owners in particular circumstances. Councillors recognise that these are challenging times for the property market. We also want to support local people to access housing.

"This policy is about targeting property owners who sit on empty properties whilst people are stuck on housing waiting lists. It is not about penalising people who for example have inherited a property from a family member and are doing all they can to sell it on."

(JP/IT)