Annex 1
VACANT DWELLINGS DATA
Table 1: Vacant dwellings in England
1993-2000—thousands of dwellings/(% of housing stock) as
at 1 April
| |
1993 | 1994
| 1995 | 1996
| 1997 | 1998
| 1999 | 2000
|
| Local authority | 70.9
(1.9%)
| 70.3
(1.9%) | 71.8
(2.0%)
| 79.6
(2.3%) | 81.2
(2.4%)
| 81.7
(2.5%) | 83.9
(2.6%)
| 87.2
(2.9%) |
| RSLs | 17.1
(2.4%)
| 20.7
(2.7%) | 20.9
(2.4%)
| 23.6
(2.5%) | 26.8
(2.6%)
| 29.3
(2.7%) | 32.6
(2.7%)
| 37.5
(2.8%) |
| Other public sector | 16
(14%)
| 17
(14%) | 20
(16%)
| 20
(17%) | 19
(17%)
| 19
(18%) | 19
(19%)
| 16
(17%) |
| Private sector | 764.6
(5.0%)
| 737.5
(4.8%) | 689.9
(4.4%)
| 667.4
(4.2%) | 640.0
(4.0%)
| 623.2
(3.8%) | 637.1
(3.9%)
| 623.2
(3.7%) |
| Total | 868.6
(4.4%)
| 845.5
(4.2%) | 802.6
(4.0%)
| 790.6
(3.9%) | 767.0
(3.7%)
| 753.2
(3.6%) | 772.6
(3.7%)
| 763.9
(3.6%) |
Analysis of the data
Just under 764,000 properties in England were vacant at 1
April 2000 (3.6 per cent of the housing stock)—a fall of
nearly 10,000 on previous year. The total has declined by over
100,000 since the peak in 1993.
Private sector: 623,000 vacant dwellings (3.7 per cent of
the stock)—a decrease of 14,000 on 1999. The increase in
1999 may in part have been the result of local authority over-estimates.
Apart from 1999, there has been a steady drop since 1993.
Local authorities: Over 87,000 vacant dwellings (2.9 per
cent of the stock)—an increase of 3,300 on 1999. This is
virtually all accounted for by four low-demand regions—Yorkshire
& the Humber, North West, North East and West Midlands—and
more specifically in the numbers of properties vacant for unspecified
reasons. This will include low-demand properties where decisions
have not yet been made about future options for the stock. 47,500
local authority homes (1.6 per cent of the total stock) vacant
at 1 April 2000 were available for letting immediately or following
minor repairs. 39,800 (1.3 per cent) were vacant and unavailable
for letting. In practice this is likely to be mainly homes awaiting
major repair.
RSLs: Over 37,000 vacant dwellings (2.8 per cent of the stock)—an
increase of nearly 5,000 on 1999. The impact of low demand has
been evident in those regions where vacant RSL dwellings are on
the increase. 17,500 RSL homes (1.53 per cent of the total self-contained
stock) vacant at 1 April 2000 were available for letting. 15,500
(1.36per cent) were vacant and unavailable for letting. In practice
this is likely to be mainly homes awaiting major repair.
Other Public Sector: 16,000 vacant dwellings (16 per cent
of the stock)—a decrease of 3,000 on 1999. The decrease
is accounted for almost entirely by hand-back of MOD properties
to Annington Homes Ltd and transfers out of the Highways Agency
stock.
Table 2: Regional breakdown of vacant dwellings/%
of housing stock vacant at 1 April 2000 by tenure
| | Local Authority
| RSL |
Other Public Sector
| Private Sector
| Total all tenure
|
| | Number
Dwellings
| %
stock | Number
Dwellings
| %
stock | Number
Dwellings
| %
stock | Number
Dwellings
| %
stock | Number
Dwellings
| %
stock |
| North East | 10,000
| 3.6% | 2,100
| 3.9% | 700
| | 37,100
| 4.7% | 49,900
| 4.4% |
| North West | 19,600
| 4.4% | 10,500
| 4.8% | 3,200
| | 106,100
| 4.6% | 139,400
| 4.7% |
| Yorks & Humber | 15,400
| 3.7% | 2,400
| 3.1% | 1,300
| | 80,600
| 4.9% | 99,700
| 4.6% |
| East Midlands | 6,100
| 2.3% | 2,600
| 3.7% | 1,800
| | 57,500
| 4.0% | 68,000
| 3.8% |
| West Midlands | 12,800
| 3.6% | 4,400
| 2.9% | 900
| | 61,700
| 3.6% | 79,800
| 3.6% |
| Eastern | 4,000
| 1.4% | 1,900
| 1.6% | 1,600
| | 62,700
| 3.3% | 70,200
| 3.0% |
| London | 12,900
| 2.3% | 7,300
| 2.7% | 1,700
| | 83,400
| 3.7% | 105,300
| 3.4% |
| South East | 3,600
| 1.4% | 3,600
| 1.6% | 2,500
| | 77,800
| 2.7% | 87,500
| 2.6% |
| South West | 2,800
| 1.6% | 2,700
| 2.0% | 2,300
| | 56,300
| 3.1% | 64,100
| 3.0% |
| England | 87,200
| 2.9% | 37,500
| 2.8% | 16,000
| 17% | 623,200
| 3.7% | 763,900
| 3.6% |
Note: % of vacant stock split by region for Other Public
Sector is not available
Table 3: Regional breakdown of dwellings vacant/
% of housing stock vacant for more than 12 months at 1 April 2000
by tenure
| | Local Authority
| RSL |
Other Public Sector
| Private Sector
| Total all tenure
|
| | Number
Dwellings
| %
stock | Number
Dwellings
| %
stock | Number
Dwellings
| %
stock | Number
Dwellings
| %
stock | Number
Dwellings
| %
stock |
| North East | 2,600
| 1.0% |
| |
| | 13,300
| 1.7% |
| |
| North West | 6,200
| 1.4% |
| |
| | 33,400
| 1.4% |
| |
| Yorks & Humber | 3,500
| 0.8% |
| |
| | 27,700
| 1.7% |
| |
| East Midlands | 900
| 0.3% |
| |
| | 19,400
| 1.3% |
| |
| West Midlands | 2,800
| 0.8% |
| |
| | 22,900
| 1.3% |
| |
| Eastern | 500
| 0.2% |
| |
| | 18,000
| 0.9% |
| |
| London | 4,200
| 0.8% |
| |
| | 26,100
| 1.2% |
| |
| South East | 400
| 0.2% |
| |
| | 24,900
| 0.9% |
| |
| South West | 400
| 0.3% |
| |
| | 16,200
| 0.9% |
| |
| England | 21,500
| 0.7% | 7,100
| 0.5% | 5,000
| 5% | 201,900
| 1.2% | 235,500
| 1.1% |
Note: % of vacant stock split by region for RSLs and Other
Public Sector is not available
Table 4: Regional breakdown of dwellings in low
demand areas by tenure
| | Local Authority
| RSL |
Private Sector
|
| | Number
Dwellings
| %
stock | Number
Dwellings
| %
stock | Number
Dwellings
| %
stock |
| North East | 64,000
| 22 | 7,900
| 16 | 20,200
| 2.8 |
| North West | 113,000
| 23 | 32,600
| 19 | 173,700
| 8.6 |
| Yorks & Humber | 58,500
| 13 | 10,500
| 14 | 55,300
| 3.8 |
| East Midlands | 31,500
| 11 | 6,700
| 13 | 33,500
| 2.5 |
| West Midlands | 43,000
| 11 | 9,100
| 8 | 59,800
| 3.9 |
| Eastern | 12,000
| 4 | 5,900
| 9 | 8,300
| 0.9 |
| London | 35,500
| 6 | 7,000
| 3 | 7,300
| 0.4 |
| South East | 10,500
| 4 | 9,200
| 4 | 6,000
| 0.2 |
| South West | 9,000
| 4 | 2,600
| 3 | 11,400
| 0.7 |
| England | 377,000
| 12 | 92,100
| 8 | 375,000
| 2.6 |
ANALYSIS OF
RATES OF
VACANT DWELLINGS
AND INCIDENCE
OF LOW
DEMAND
The social sector
It is generally the case that the highest local authority
vacancy rates are also where low demand is evident—in the
NE, NW, WM and Y&H. But there is also a wide range of vacancy
rates within regions.
In the NE (3.6 per cent average local authority vacancy rate)
there were six authorities with a vacancy rate over 4 per cent
(Newcastle, Wear Valley, North Tyneside, Easington, Stockton on
Tees, and Wansbeck) and all contain areas of social sector low
demand.
In Y&H (3.7 per cent average local authority vacancy
rate) there were five authorities with a vacancy rate over 4 per
cent. The highest three Bradford, Calderdale and Hull also experienced
low demand. But fewer authorities experienced low demand in this
region than NE or NW.
In the West Midlands (3.6 per cent average local authority
vacancy rate) the bottom four authorities were Wolverhampton,
Sandwell, Coventry and Walsall, and all have been identified as
having areas of low demand. But low demand can also affect parts
of an authority or even particular estates and may not be reflected
in the vacancy rate for the area as a whole—eg Birmingham.
The NW has the highest regional local authority vacancy rate
(4.2 per cent), and a high number of authorities contain areas
of social sector low demand. But again, some authorities containing
areas of low demand have lower than average vacancy rates. Five
authorities have a vacancy rate of over 6 per cent: Knowsley,
Liverpool, Carlisle, Salford and Blackburn.
In London, where the local authority vacancy rate averaged
2.3 per cent, the rates were over 3 per cent in five authorities—Tower
Hamlets, Brent, Lambeth, Hackney and Redbridge, with low demand
evident on estates in Tower Hamlets and Lambeth.
The private sector
Generally the highest vacancy rates in the private sector
coincide with areas where low demand has been identified in the
private sector, particularly in the NE, NW, WM and Y&H.
The NE (4.7 per cent) and Y&H (4.9 per cent) have similar
average private sector vacancy rates, but the NE has a greater
range, with five areas having a rate of more than 7 per cent (Newcastle,
Wear Valley, Easington, Durham and Middlesbrough), but Durham
is not an area of private sector low demand.
The West Midlands (3.6 per cent) has a range of private sector
vacancy rates with some very high and some very low. The two areas
with the highest private sector rates—Wolverhampton and
Stoke on Trent—are also areas where low demand has been
identified.
The NW (4.6 per cent) contains some of the highest private
sector vacancy rates in the country. The rate is over 6 per cent
in eight areas (Bolton, Pendle, Blackburn, Liverpool, Hyndburn,
Salford, Burnley, Manchester), and these also contain areas of
low demand in the private sector.
The SE has a low average vacancy rate (2.7 per cent) but
some parts of the region have a relatively high rate. Dover, Thanet,
Hastings, Swale and Shepway have rates of over 6 per cent. There
are some pockets of low demand and only Dover and Hastings have
been identified as containing areas of low demand in the private
sector. London also has some pockets of low demand in the private
sector. The private sector vacancy rate for London as a whole
was 3.7 per cent.
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