THE number of empty homes in Pendle has reduced by 40 per cent since 2009, new figures have revealed.

Pendle Council say their housing standards team has helped to reduced the number of homes standing empty in the borough from 2,000 in 2008/09 to 1,200.

While in the last 12 months, 500 empty properties have been brought back into use.

And now the council is expecting to adopt an action plan at the executive meeting next week to further reduce these numbers.

Councillor Joe Cooney, leader of Pendle Council, who leads on housing regeneration in the borough, said: “Empty homes are a key factor in low-demand housing areas. They’re a wasted asset which can cause neighbourhoods to decline through associated anti-social behaviour and untidiness.

“The introduction of the Empty Homes Premium in the Council Tax in 2013 has had a significant impact on the reduction of long-term empty properties. Many more owners of vacant homes are now working with us to find out about their options to bring the properties back into use.”

The Empty Homes Action Plan for 2015/16, if adopted at the meeting on March 19, will aim to tackle the number of clusters of empty homes in problem areas.

It hopes to tackle these through a range of interventions with private landlords and property owners including the Empty Homes Loan Scheme.

This is available to owners of properties that have been empty for six months or more.

Owners can apply for loans for up to 80 per cent of the cost of works to make their properties ready for occupation – up to a maximum of £15,000.

The Empty Homes Loans are interest free for three years.

Julie Whittaker, Economic & Housing Regeneration Manager, said: “The plan for 2015/16 looks at ways of building on our successes and developing new ways to bring the more challenging long-term empty properties back into use.

“In turn, we hope we will be able to be able to increase the level of New Homes Bonus we can attract to Pendle.”