Choice, Demand and

Demolition
by
John Earnshaw
Low Demand Project Manager
The Empty Homes Agency

Queen’s Hotel, Leeds

26th April 2006
An overview of the session
 Facts and Figures
 The Empty Homes Agency
 EHA Low Demand Project
 Low Demand in Social Housing
 Kirklees MDC - example
 High Demand Solutions
 Market Renewal Pathfinders
 The Case For/Against Demolition
 The European Housing Scene – Can we learn anything
from our EU neighbours?
 Questions & Answers
The Empty Homes Agency
 The Empty Homes Agency is a housing association
with charitable status, although we neither own nor
manage any empty property

 The Empty Homes Agency is an independent

campaigning charity, which exists to highlight the
waste of empty property in England and works with
others to devise and promote solutions to bring
empty property back into use

 The Reason Why We Exist set up in 1992 in

response to the high number of empty properties and
the crisis with homelessness - something had to be
done!
 Empty Homes 2003

Total Empty Vacant >6 months

718,720 308,438
Empty Homes 2004

Total Empty RSL LA

689,675 57,536 39,195

 Empty Homes 2005

Total Empty RSL LA

680,412 40,613 48,594

What do the figures show?

 A massive reduction of 29,045 empty

homes overall in England in 2004
 A further reduction of 10,000 empty
homes overall in 2005
 That The Empty Homes Agency’s
Enabling Strategy Really Works!
The Empty Homes Agency
website

Click on ‘Resources’
 Then click on ‘Statistics’

 www.emptyhomes.com
 The Empty Homes Agency’s
Low Demand Project
 Officially started March 2004
 Based in the Barnsley
 Big Lottery Funded
 Off to a ‘flying’ start
 The Empty Homes
Agency’s
Low Demand Project

 Setting up project to help communities in areas

of low demand
 Developing communications, media work and
policy
 Developing EHA work on low demand with the
nine Market Renewal Pathfinders
 For the very latest on the project see –
www.emptyhomes.com/ld/lowdhome.htm
Early visits…Burnley and Hull

 Daneshouse

 Giroscope and North

Bransholme
 …. Leeds and Salford
 CANOPY Housing Project
Leeds

 City of Salford
 So what is Low Demand?
 
 There are approximately 680,000 empty homes
in England, many of which are in areas of low
demand for housing.
 Almost one million householders live in areas of
so called low demand for housing or housing
market failure.
 These are areas with high numbers of empty
homes and often problems of anti-social
behaviour, crime, drugs and dereliction.
 What exactly is
Low Demand in Social
Housing?

In the case of social housing, housing in blocks or management

patches of at least 50 dwellings, it is classed as low demand,
where one or more of the following symptoms is exhibited
 tenancy offers frequently refused
 a small or non-existent waiting list
 high rates of voids available for letting
 high rates of tenancy turnover
 So why did social housing
need to be marketed in
Kirklees in 1999?

 Typical ‘low demand’ social housing in Kirklees UK

Let’s turn the clock back to
1999 and find out why
 Over 1,000 Voids Scheduled for
Demolition
 Appointed as Voids Project Manager
 Lots of Fresh Thinking, Innovation and
New Ideas on Lettings and Marketing in
Social Housing
 Some examples on the next few
slides………..
 Getting to Know The Product
 Inspecting all vacant properties, including bungalows,
flats, houses and sheltered accommodation for any
repairs, grass-cutting and litter etc

 Talking to and/or visiting local ‘quality’ estate agents

to see how they operated – brochures, reception
areas, ‘TO LET’ boards, viewings etc
 
‘TO LET’ Boards
 Advertising

 Advertising and Marketing – useful items

 It paid to advertise – literally anywhere!
 Placed regular smallish ‘ads’ in the local and
regional newspapers
 Designed and printed a coloured ‘Property
Guide’ to distribute to prospective tenants
 Grouped email ‘shots’ to customers
 SMS - Text Messaging to customers
 Tried local radio!
Yes, anywhere!
 Swansea Home Choice
www.swansea.gov.uk
Anne Smith - Project Manager says ‘the
most successful marketing techniques have
reduced voids from 1,500 in 2004 to just
452 this week’
 Detailed Property Specifications
 One to One Interviews with customers
 Regular Customer Surveys with prize
draws
 Show Homes and Open Days
 Targeted Mail Shots
 Some of the Kirklees
results through
Fresh Thinking
 Let over 500 ‘low demand’ properties in 12
month period
 Creation of pioneering Kirklees/Camden housing
partnership
 Won Empty Homes Agency’s National Award for
‘Best Strategy on Tackling Low Demand’
 BBC made documentary on my work
 Creation of ‘LAWN’ – movement of people from
London and the South East to the Midlands and
the North of England
 Some
High Demand
Solutions
 Choice Base Lettings and
Regional Mobility
 LAWN

 MoveUK
 ‘Fresh Start’ Options

 London Borough of Lewisham – ‘Moving

out of London’ scheme

 Poole Borough Council – tenants open

day
Low Demand in the
Private Sector
Housing Market in Burnley
 Low Demand – so what is
working?
• Answers? – no single answer
• Community Anchors - Chicago
• Community involvement
• Early monitoring system
• Home swaps - Salford
• Homesteading - Sheffield
• Mobility schemes – HEMS, LAWN &
MOVEUK
• Re-profiling – North West
• Self-help housing – Canopy & Giroscope
How can The Empty Homes
Agency help?
• Campaigning voice (e.g. Empty
Homes Management Orders)
• Good practice guide
• Local authority support
• Low demand support
• RSL support
• Website www.emptyhomes.com
 Constantly Look for New
Ideas

 Change of use ?
 Conferences
 Courses
 Local forums
 Networking
 Partnering
 Seminars
There are nine Market
Renewal Pathfinder areas
 Birmingham and Sandwell

 East Lancashire

 Humberside

 Manchester and Salford

 Merseyside

 Newcastle and Gateshead

 North Staffordshire

 Oldham and Rochdale

 South Yorkshire
 House of Commons – Select
Committee Report –
Empty Homes and Low Demand
Pathfinders – 8th February

 Written and Verbal Evidence from:

 TPAS
 SAVE Britain’s Heritage
 English Heritage
 Empty Homes Agency
 Welsh Streets Home Group
 Whitefield Conservation Action Group
 House of Commons – Select
Committee Report (8th)
Empty Homes and Low Demand
Pathfinders – Summary - 5th April
 Concerns expressed about the scale of demolitions
envisaged and the impact on vulnerable
communities
 Pathfinders need to consult better with local
communities and consider different options for
improvements, including more refurbishments
 Broad recognition that the communities need
support during this period of transition
 Pathfinders should be allowed to spend a
significant proportion of their funds on helping
communities
 DEMOLITION – Is it really a
valid option?
 The tradition of bulldozing areas
in decline must be overcome if
the aim of sustainable
development is to be achieved,
the government was warned
this week.  

Inside Housing 12th December 2004

 DEMOLITION – Phase 1
Read all about it!

Empties fall but associations buc

k trend
 Another fall in empty homes
across England has been marred
by a rise in the number owned
by housing associations.  

Inside Housing - 13th February 2004

 DEMOLITION – Phase 3

North Staffs pathfinder plans 4,000+ h

ome demolition
 
 A £35 million plan to ease market
decline has been agreed by the North
Staffordshire housing market renewal
pathfinder.  

Inside Housing 12th August 2003

 ITV

Monday 16th May -

Friday 20th May 2005 
 
 Complete Refurbishment
through Innovative Design
 Terraced house in Powis Street, Toxteth
 Completely refurbished
 New bathroom
 New kitchen
 Completely Transformed for £24K
 Affordable for First Time Buyers
 Is this a valid solution for the Pathfinders
to copy?
 Urban Splash
Chimney Pot Park, Salford

Opposition to large scale
demolition?
 SEE
www.fightfourourhomes.com
 Some more case studies

 Burnley Wood Community Action Group

www.burnleywood.com
 Canopy Housing Project – Leeds
 Dall Street Residents – Burnley
 Giroscope – Hull
 Welsh Streets - Liverpool
 Demolition or
Refurbishment?
This is what we, the Dall Street Residents would like to see done to our
much loved terraced homes.
 Ringo attacks
Demolition of City
Homes
 Ringo Starr, the former Beatle, said
yesterday (23rd May) that 20,000
homes on Merseyside, including his
birthplace, should be restored
instead of being knocked down
 "Why are they knocking them
down? If it is economically viable,
they should do them up”
European Network for Housing R
esearch

 www.enhr.ibf.uu.se
 YOU’VE NOW SEEN THE
EVIDENCE!
So, the question the nine Market Renewal
Pathfinders must now ask themselves -

Is Wholesale Demolition
Really a Valid Option?
What do you think?
 ALWAYS REMEMBER
WHATEVER YOU DO
‘PREVENTION IS BETTER
THAN THE CURE’
The Empty Homes Agency
www.emptyhomes.com

195 – 197 Victoria Street

London
SW1E 5NE
And

PO Box 3609
Barnsley
S75 1WW
Thank You for Listening
and
Any Questions?