Kent Empty Property Officers Share Good Practice

No Use Empty, the Kent Empty Property Initiative, has hosted two special training courses this month for Empty Property Officers from across Kent to help increase knowledge and understanding of legislation to help them bring empty properties back into use.…

No Use Empty, the Kent Empty Property Initiative, has hosted two special training courses this month for Empty Property Officers from across Kent to help increase knowledge and understanding of legislation to help them bring empty properties back into use.

On 12th December Shepway District Council was the venue for the first training event on the Residential Property Tribunal & on 13th December, Swale Borough Council hosted the second event on the Decent Homes Standard. The courses were attended by over 56 delegates from all across Kent, preparing officers for the Residential Property Tribunal hearings and how to achieve the decent home standard for empty property refurbishment.

Further courses of this nature have been arranged for early 2008 and will relate to the Housing Health & Safety Rating System, and enforcement of the provisions of the Housing Act 2004.

Susan Pledger, Project Manager of No Use Empty said; “The purpose of these courses is to provide an opportunity for empty property officers across Kent to increase their knowledge and understanding of key legislation which in turn helps them in their work to return more empty properties back into use.

The event also provided empty property officers from across Kent the opportunity to meet, share experiences and best practice and learn from each other.”

The training was led by Peter Wilson, Principal Consultant for Capital Project Consultancy (CPC Ltd), a consultancy working in partnership with the No Use Empty campaign.

Free help and advice is available to property owners who are advised to visit the website – www.no-use-empty.org ­ or call the No Use Empty hotline 08458 247605.