Lucy Denton’s article in Country Life magazine asks why we have so many uninhabited dwellings and what we can do to save them.
image: for illustration
… The VAT rules need to be overhauled…
Country Life writes:
… a striking model of the sturdy sandstone-built houses that appeared in the north of England in the 16th century… a handsome home, surely, in this exposed moorland setting.
It is empty and in ruins, picked at by vandals and frequently saturated… Extwistle Hall, vacant for the past 20 years, is one of numerous stricken dwellings that should be put to good use, but which is a casualty of various factors that contribute to lack of occupation and, ultimately, dereliction.
It is unthinkable that England, in 2022, had about 250,000 officially recorded uninhabited dwellings — ‘a lot more than five years ago,’ points out Chris Bailey, campaigns manager at Action on Empty Homes….
… There are also fewer funds available for those seeking to revive a redundant edifice than there were 10 years ago….
… opportunities for redevelopment exist, better support is vital. ‘It’s a no-brainer. The VAT rules need to be overhauled,’ advises Henrietta Billings, director of SAVE Britain’s Heritage, on the long-hoped-for relief on work to existing buildings, yet to materialise, which means that owners of listed properties still pay a standard rate of 20% on repairs, whereas, controversially, it is 0% for new homes….
