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Over 300,000 homes standing empty
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The number of empty homes in England reached its highest level for five years during 2008.
There was a 9% jump in the number of private homes that had been empty for at least six months during the year to April 2008 to 303,285 - the highest level since April 2003, according to high street bank Halifax.
The group said the increase, which followed several years of declines, meant 1.6% of all privately owned properties in England were unoccupied. Once homes that had been empty for less than six months were included in the total, the figure more than doubled to 613,270.
Properties are classed as being empty if they have been vacant for more than six months because they are between occupants, undergoing modernisation, in disrepair or awaiting demolition.
The research found there was a clear north/south divide in where empty properties were located.
The North West had the highest number of empty homes at 66,691, accounting for 22% of all unused properties, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber at 14%.
The highest level of empty homes as a proportion of the private housing stock was also in the North West, where 2.6% of private properties are unused, with Yorkshire and the Humber and the North East not far behind at 2.2% and 2.1% respectively.
This was more than double the 1.1% of private homes that were empty in London, the South East and South West.
Halifax said levels of deprivation were typically higher in areas that had a high proportion of empty homes.
It said average earnings were below the national average in 18 out of the 20 local authorities where 3% or more of all private homes were unused, while unemployment was also higher than average in the six out of 10 local authorities with the highest levels of empty homes. http://www.halifax-online.co.uk/(Halifax)
