Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs) allow councils to take over residential properties that are empty for 6 months or more. Figures published in 2018 show more than 216,000 homes had been empty for 6 months or more. Only 19 councils used an EDMO in the past 5 years and only 6 in the past year.
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Figures obtained through FoI requests from 276 councils showed 60,000 homes had been empty for 2 years or more, 23,000 for 5 years or more, & over 11,000 had stood empty for at least 10 years.
Only 19 out of 247 councils in England and Wales that responded (EDMOs do not apply in Scotland) had used an EDMO in the past 5 years.
Compel councils to use EDMOs before developing on green belt by prohibiting them from approving any new residential building on green belt land where there are empty properties that might be eligible for an EDMO in the local area;