The home in Wroxham Road before it was seized by Broadland District Council.
Sprowston house seized by Broadland District Council
Dan Grimmer
Monday, November 26, 2012
6:30 AM
These before and after pictures show how a once derelict house near Norwich was transformed back into a home after it was seized by council bosses.
The home in Wroxham Road after it was sold at auction and turned into a family home.The property, in Wroxham Road in Sprowston, was highlighted by Broadland District Council to mark Empty Homes Week, which started today.
Council bosses say it is a prime example of their “carrot and stick” approach to tackling the problem of empty accommodation – first offering advice, encouragement and financial help, but prepared to use enforcement powers if all else fails.
The council’s policy is to contact the owners of empty properties after they have been out of use for six months, when previously it was a year.
Broadland can offer loans of up to £10,000 to help owners restore homes to occupation, as well as paving the way for 15pc VAT reductions on building work under certain circumstances.
But, in the case of the Wroxham Road property, all efforts to negotiate with the owner failed, forcing the council to use compulsory purchase powers as a last resort to prevent it falling into even more disrepair.
The house was then sold at auction to developers who have renovated it and brought it back into use as a family home.
Jo Cottingham, portfolio holder for communities and housing at Broadland District Council, said: “Early intervention means in most cases we can work with the owner to find out why the property is unoccupied and look for solutions.
“With so many people looking for a decent home they can afford, it’s essential that houses do not stand empty any longer than necessary.
“In a market where house sales are proving tricky and even new-build properties can stand empty for long periods, these figures should be seen as a considerable success for the council’s strategy.”
New figures released to mark the start of Empty Homes Week show there has been a year-on-year five per cent reduction in the number of unoccupied houses in the Broadland district, down to an all-time low of 402.
Other News Articles
- Norwich cyclist speaks about moment he was hit by motorist who tweeted she had knocked someone off his bike
- Latest: Have you seen missing Norwich woman Emma Belka using public transport?
- Flood of tributes to campaigner and Norwich City Powerchair FC stalwart Ben Parkin
- East of England Ambulance Service appoints new chairman
- YouTubes-Day: Jackson scores a hat-trick
- Public inquiry under way to examine Growth Triangle housing plans for Norwich
- American theatre award for show performing in Norwich all this week
- Lord of the Rings star among successful former University of East Anglia students who will receive honorary degrees
- Inquest opened into death of Blofield man who died in house fire in France
- “We love her and just want her to get in contact” - Fears for safety of missing Norwich woman Emma Belka
ADVERTISEMENT
22 comments
and..... ss for Mr Hardy's comments about 'ever increasing Council Tax bills' if he is a resident of Broadland I think he will find that these have been frozen and are likely to remain so.
Report this comment
Lord Horn
Thursday, November 29, 2012
What a ludicrous statement from Grant Hardy. Compulsory Purchase powers have been around for decades. Broadland District Council (like most of our other local Councils) only use these in extreme circumstances. I'm sure that if he could be bothered to put in an FOI request to any local council Mr Hardy would find that the number of times these powers have been used are minimal in the extreme.
Report this comment
Lord Horn
Thursday, November 29, 2012
I think we need to look at the bigger picture. A local council has the power to TAKE your assets against your will and sell it for whatever price they feel. This is private property we are talking about. This is the beginning of a slippery slope and has a hint of communism about it. Councils are altogether too powerful and we as individuals have less rights than ever before. There is another element to this also - the councils in general have many empty properties; should they all be put in to an auction right away and sold off to the highest bidder? Many of these properties have been empty for some time. When the councils sell there properties, they add in many restrictive covenants and may include clauses to ensure they continue to benefit from future potential gains from that asset, should the new owner sell it at a later date? It seems that the council do what suits them and all this whilst they enjoy their final salary pensions’ which is in part funded from your ever increasing council tax bills! I wonder if a council employee lived anywhere near this house?
Report this comment
Grant Hardy
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Well pointed out g hu. Isn't it amazing how often people go off on one on here without having a clue what they're talking about!!!
Report this comment
Lord Horn
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
lisa - anything on the north bank is in Hoveton, and therefore in North Norfolk, not in Broadland.
Report this comment
g hu
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
links not working, you maybe correct, the pub was called The Three Horseshoes at HovetonWroxham, you can serch old pics on google images
Report this comment
lisa
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
you maybe correct on that, the pub was called the three horseshoes in wroxham, here a pic from the link http:www.google.co.ukimgres?q=the+three+horseshoes+wroxham&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&tbo=d&rlz=1G1TEUA_EN-GBUK513&biw=1249&bih=565&tbm=isch&tbnid=l4KhNpsSs9wfeM:&imgrefurl=http:www.broadlandmemories.co.ukpage246.html&docid=PGw4c3OYNJ1CGM&imgurl=http:www.broadlandmemories.co.ukimagespostcardswroxham60s_horseshoes01.jpg&w=600&h=379&ei=dlu1ULzSC5HL0AX6s4DwBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=2&vpy=158&dur=734&hovh=178&hovw=283&tx=180&ty=65&sig=115420655857097108501&page=1&tbnh=140&tbnw=213&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:85
Report this comment
lisa
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
@lisa - the King's Head is in Hoveton, in North Norfolk, not in Broadland - a different council. Maybe they do things differently there?
Report this comment
g hu
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Im amazed what im reading here, the council must be joking with this story, I have put up with empty derlic scruffy rat ridden buildings in wroxhamhoverton next door to the kings head for years and years, what people do not relise is that next door to the very dirty kings head in wroxham once lay the most beautiful second pub, the king heads owners purchased it and have left it disused ever since, i guess becuase they do not want any competition, so us locals have to put up with looking at a wreck every day, and the council have not done anything for 10 years plus, so whats all the 6 month rubbish, why have you sorted the sprowston house and not the old pub in wroxham, i myself would be happy to buy it at a forced auction, the council shouls be ashamed of themselves, my question is WHY has the building next to the king head been ignored from your rulings. I would like you to answer, like you did the other comment. But you will choose to go and hide under a stone instead.
Report this comment
lisa
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Will this be appearing on 'Homes under the Hammer' anytime soon by any chance?
Report this comment
JanieH
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
And congrats to Homes4locals who has absolutely no clue as to how Local Government works in this country!
Report this comment
Lord Horn
Monday, November 26, 2012
Congrats Del on missing the point entirely!
Report this comment
Homes4locals
Monday, November 26, 2012
There is a lot of criticism here of this scheme. I wonder how many of those critics would be saying these things if the derelict property was next door to them. Having a crumbling derelict house next door can knock £50,000 off the value of your house, or even render it unsaleable. I did know of someone in that position. They could not sell their little palace of a bungalow because of the dilapidated wreck next door, with overgrown garden and old cars rusting in the drive. You would soon change your tune if that happened to you.
Report this comment
Derek Colman
Monday, November 26, 2012
It would be better if it had been renovated and let at an affordable rent to someone on the waiting list.
Report this comment
tigger449
Monday, November 26, 2012
Well glad to hear no one is making money out of the policy-just making political capital at the possible expense of individuals.
Report this comment
Daisy Roots
Monday, November 26, 2012
Broadland District Council can confirm that no elected member of Broadland District Council has any financial interest or derived any financial benefit from the development of this site.
Report this comment
Broadland District Council
Monday, November 26, 2012
Which councillors have the vested interests, not only in buying the property but also in the development company ? Lrgalised theft by councillors
Report this comment
"V"
Monday, November 26, 2012
Meanwhile, Broadland continue to promote second home ownership. These properties then stand empty most of the time. Could we have some joined up thinking at Broadland or maybe just some thinking would be a start.
Report this comment
Homes4locals
Monday, November 26, 2012
So if someone has an asset but not the money to bring it to some form of order, and could be waiting for it to sell on the open market for a decent price, Broadland can come along and force an auction disposal which is likely to give a much lower return? Since I know people with perfectly decent houses on the market for six months still struggling to get viewings let alone buyers the time scale is pretty short and if there are empty new builds there is not exactly a housing crisis is there. What if the house is in a position to give access to a potential develoment area ? It is a rule open to all sorts of behind closed doors dealing. All this while holiday homes in good repair stand empty for most of the year. I do hope we don't see a scandal of people close to the council department buying up houses subject to these orders for a song. It is a power too far and is a bit of grandstanding .
Report this comment
Daisy Roots
Monday, November 26, 2012
Let's see some figures like how much it cost etc, or probably more to the point how much it cost the already overburdened Broadland District Council taxpayer.
Report this comment
Joe Mullets Uncle
Monday, November 26, 2012
Is that the same Jo Cottingham of Arab Emirates fame?
Report this comment
John L Norton
Monday, November 26, 2012
is that really the same house???? still i suppose it would look different after being bought for next to nothing then sold at a good profit then completely rebuilt and rented out at a massive rent to somebody who can just about manage the rent !!!!!
Report this comment
stephen watson
Monday, November 26, 2012