Decision details

To take all necessary steps to purchase, then renovate or dispose of the long term empty properties known as Holmebridge Cottage and The Old Post Office, Holmebridge, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 6AF.

Delegated officer decision as per the Scheme of Delegation detailed below

It is a strategic priority of the Dorset Council Plan 2024 to 2029 and the Housing Strategy January 2024 to January 2029 to ensure our residents have access to affordable, suitable, secure homes where they can live well as part of sustainable and thriving communities. Action on long term empty homes forms a key element of both our Council Plan and Housing Strategy.

This decision will enable officers to purchase two long-term empty properties to bring them back into beneficial residential use and remedy their adverse environmental, economic, and social impact on the surrounding area. This work forms part of the Councils Empty Property Strategy.

Alternative options considered and rejected:

Alternative option 1:

Commence the process to make an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) under the Housing Act 2004

Option rejected.

An EDMO empowers the Council to take over the management and letting (not ownership) of a property for a maximum period of 7 years. This option has been discounted as it will require the Council to pay for the complete renovation and improvement of the properties to a current lettable standard and then arrange for its ongoing letting and management over this 7-year period. The properties are then returned to the freehold owner. The property are in very poor condition and the affordable rent received over this 7-year period will not cover the cost of repairing the properties to a lettable standard. Therefore this option is not economically viable.

Alternative option 2

Commence the process of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO)

Option rejected

The current owner has agreed to sell the properties voluntarily to the Council and therefore acquiring the property using a CPO is not appropriate

Alternative option 3:

Do not purchase the properties voluntarily and instead continue to try and persuade the owner of the properties to bring them back into use by other means, including ‘watching and waiting’, private sale or renovation.

Option rejected.

The properties have been empty for at least 15 years and are having a detrimental effect on the amenity of the area. Due to their condition and incidents of unauthorised access (‘break ins’/squatting) they generate complaints from residents and local Councillors.

The owner has only agreed to sell the properties to the Council via a private sale and has shown no intention to dispose of the properties on the open market.

When weighing up the options available to the Council, the location of the properties and their impact on the local area, then it is not considered appropriate to continue pursuing a ‘watch and wait’ informal approach.

The purchase of the properties is within existing capital budgets specifically for the Compulsory and Voluntary purchase of long-term empty properties to meet the Councils strategic aims

The properties have been subject to a formal ‘red book’ valuation in both September 2023 and again in May 2025. The owner has accepted the Councils offer to purchase the land and buildings. The purchase would be liable to Stamp Duty Land Tax. This purchase and associated costs will be funded from existing capital budgets for the Compulsory Purchase and Voluntary Purchase of Empty Property.

The property owner is currently liable for the Empty Home Premium Council Tax Payment and should the Council acquire the properties this ongoing financial liability would pass to Dorset Council and any new and subsequent owners. This is an unbudgeted revenue expense until the properties are sold. If the properties are subsequently disposed of by the Council, then following all necessary processes and due diligence, that disposal process is likely to take at least 6-8 months from the purchase date, during which time the Council Tax Premium will need to be paid.