PROPERTIES in Bradford that are empty for more than 10 years could be charged four times as much council tax under new plans to bring more homes back into use.

There are currently over 4,100 long term empty homes in Bradford, 207 of which have been empty and unused for over a decade. Bradford Council is now planning to drastically increase the amount of Council Tax owners of these properties have to pay to try to encourage them to bring these properties back to use.

Currently the owners of properties that have been empty for over two years are charged a 50 per cent premium on top of their regular Council Tax for that property.

But from April, Bradford Council plans to increase that premium to 100 per cent - meaning people will pay double Council Tax until they bring a property back into use.

From April 2020 the Council will add a 200 per cent premium to properties that have been empty over five years.

And in April 2021 there will be a premium of 300 per cent for properties empty for more than 10 years.

The plans are due to be discussed by the Council’s decision making executive next Tuesday.

As of last month, there were 1,457 properties in the Bradford district that had been empty for over two years.

The City ward has the highest number of properties empty for more than two years - 244. And 16 of these had been empty for over 10 years. Wharfedale had the fewest, with just 12, although four of those have been empty for over 10 years.

Since 2012, Councils have been limited in the amount of a premium they can charge empty homes - 50 per cent.

Since that premium was introduced in Bradford, the number of homes empty for more than two years fell from 1,756 in 2013 to 1,457 last month.

But a new act introduced this year allows Councils to increase that premium.

The report going to the Executive says: “The introduction of a 100 per cent Council Tax premium from April would generate around £740,000 in the amount of Council Tax billed in 2019/20 should the number of homes empty for over two years remain the same.

“The accuracy of forecasts about the increase in the amount of Council Tax raised in future years is likely to diminish over time if, as intended, there is a significant change in the behaviour of owners of long term empty properties.

“The presence of empty homes within communities impacts significantly on community safety, the fear of crime and the feelings that residents have towards their neighbourhood. As a result, the success of the team, and returning a property into occupation, impacts significantly on whole streets and neighbourhoods.”

However the report says it may be “challenging” to collect some of the debt.

The Council’s Empty Homes and Loans team also offers advice and initiatives for owners to assist and incentivise owners to bring their long term empty homes back into use.

These include the Empty Property Loan, developed in partnership with Sheffield City Council.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “We want to see as many empty properties brought back into use across the district as possible. By increasing the amount of Council tax paid on empty properties we aim to incentivise owners to get them occupied.”

The executive meets at 10.30am on Tuesday in City Hall.