A new Council tax has been introduced to reduce the number of derelict properties in East Ayrshire.

The new tax will make it more expensive for owners to leave their properties empty.

Originally, properties which are unoccupied and unfurnished for up to 6 months were exempt from Council Tax, with the option to claim further discounts for an additional 12 months.

From October 2018, owners who leave their properties empty for more than a year without using them as a second home, renovating or marketing them will now face double council tax charges.

Councillor Elena Whitham, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities explained: "Our latest available figures, from September 2017, show that East Ayrshire had 648 properties which had been left empty and unoccupied for more than 12 months. Many of these are older buildings of architectural significance, while others could be providing much needed housing if they were available on the market.

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"Empty buildings are a costly blight on our neighbourhoods, they can be a focus for anti-social behaviour and neglect can cause problems for surrounding properties. Using our Council tax powers, removing discounts for those who are failing to occupy, renovate or sell their properties after an extended period, we hope to give owners the incentive to either engage with restoration projects or market them so that someone else can put them to good use.

“Our teams are already working hard to engage with private sector owners, provide funding, assistance and incentives to fix the problems. These changes will help us to break the deadlock with those who don’t currently engage with us but are apparently happy to sit on unused and deteriorating premises without long term plans for them."

The criteria for charging increased Council Tax will take into account exceptional circumstances, such as those who are in long term care, hospital or are actively pursuing sale or repair.

(CM/MH)