A call for Pembrokeshire councillors to back potential enforced sales of problem long-term empty properties in the county has been put on hold as the paperwork was not 100% complete.

At Pembrokeshire County Council’s Policy and Pre-Decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee of June 10, members were asked to recommend the council’s Cabinet approve an Enforced Sales Policy and Procedure for Long Term Problematic Empty Properties.

In Pembrokeshire, long-term empty properties and second homes pay a premium on council tax rates.

Second homes in Pembrokeshire have a council tax premium of 150% above the standard rate, while long-term empty properties are now charged at a 300% premium for those empty over two years, replacing a more complicated sliding scale rate used previously.

A report for members said: “A principal motivation for producing this policy is to improve the ability to deal with empty properties and create new homes. An additional consideration, however, is that it will also have wider corporate benefits in relation to aiding in the regeneration of commercial empty properties, debt recovery for outstanding works and court costs which can be significant in relation to works that may need to be carried out.”

It said, as of April 2023, there were around 1,000 residential properties in Pembrokeshire which had been empty for six months or more.

“Pembrokeshire County Council wishes to work with the owners of empty properties to encourage them to bring their properties back in to use, and to provide information and advice on the assistance schemes available to owners of long-term empty properties, both residential and commercial.”

The report went on to say that legislation available would be used to deal with problematic long-term empty properties.

“Pembrokeshire County Council will consider the appropriateness of pursuing an enforced sale as part of a wider consideration of all available options to achieve the goal of bringing long-term empty properties back into use. Each case will be treated on its merits.”

It said any enforced sales would be “essentially a debt recovery process which recoups debts owed to the council with a threshold of £1,000 placed to trigger the procedure, with any costs incurred by the council in the process also recoverable.

At the meeting itself members were told the item had been withdrawn from the agenda, to return to the September committee, with new vice-chair Cllr Aled Thomas expressing his disappointment.

“I was expecting to come here today to talk this over, we all agree it’s a big issue, could we have a flavour of why it was removed? It feels like it’s pushed back with little or no explanation.”

Chair Cllr Simon Hancock said a “cast iron assurance” had been made that the matter would be heard at the September meeting, an issue having arisen the previous day, with more work needed on the report for members.

He said it was “right and proper” that any report for members was “100%” before any further discussions.

The agenda item was withdrawn from the meeting, earmarked to return to the September committee.