Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 5 March 2002.
Terms of Reference
REPORT
Conclusions and recommendations
I. INTRODUCTION
II. THE NATIONAL PROBLEM
The size of the national problem
The number of empty homes
The quality of information
Transactional vacancies
The consequences of the national problem
The causes of the national problem
Effectiveness of central and local Government measures
Action by local authorities
Empty homes strategies and officers
Compulsory purchase of individual houses
Compulsory leasing
Voluntary leasing
Fiscal measures
Measures introduced in the 2001 budget
Council tax on empty homes
VAT on refurbishment
Using empty property to meet housing need
Better management of the public sector stock
Regeneration of social housing
Licensing private landlords
III. FAILING MARKETS
The scale of the problem of failing markets
The number of properties affected by failing markets
The speed of change
The identification of decline
The consequences of empty homes in failing markets
The costs to individuals
Costs to the wider community
Growth of the private rented sector
Estate agents
The cost to organisations working in the area
Local authorities and other public agencies
Registered social landlords
The causes of empty homes in failing markets
The decline in the attractiveness of inner urban areas
Factors which cause the suburbs to be more attractive
Future trends
Effectiveness of measures to improve the situation
Crime and anti-social behaviour
Movement from high to low demand areas
Between regions
Movement within conurbations
Measures targeted at houses and homeowners
Neighbourhood renewal
The extent to which neighbourhood renewal is achieving its objectives
The limitations of the neighbourhood renewal approach
The need for a new strategy
A new approach targeted at the conurbation or sub-region
Creating areas where people want to live
Intervention across the conurbation
Timescale
Funding
Gap funding for housing schemes
Community consultation
Compulsory Purchase Orders
Housing markets at risk
Managing change
Regional intervention
Housing Corporation
Regional Development Agencies
Planning
Targets to reduce the vacancy rate
Housing capacity
Local plans
Housing market renewal
A Housing Market Renewal Fund
LIST OF CONCLUSIONS
ANNEX 1
ANNEX 2
APPENDIX
PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE RELATING TO THE REPORT
LIST OF WITNESSES
APPENDICES TO THE MINUTES OF EVIDENCE
LIST OF MEMORANDA
TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS COMMITTEE REPORTS IN THE CURRENT PARLIAMENT MINUTES OF EVIDENCE Wednesday 24 October 2001 (HC 240-i) Tuesday 6 November 2001 (HC 240-ii) Wednesday 21 November 2001 (HC 240-iii) Wednesday 5 December 2001 (HC 240-iv) Wednesday 12 December 2001 (HC 240-v) MEMORANDA - VOLUME II (HC 240-II) APPENDICES TO THE MINUTES OF EVIDENCE - VOLUME III (HC 240-II)