3665 houses lying empty

Madeleine Logan • Published 1 Jul 2010 16:00 0 Comments

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OWNERS of Fermanagh's 3655 empty homes will soon be charged full rates - a move which MLA Tom Elliott says could make "survival impossible" for victims of the property crash.

Finance Minister Sammy Wilson announced on Tuesday that vacant homes will be charged the same as occupied homes from October next year.

More than one in six houses in Fermanagh are empty, meaning the county will be particularly affected by this change.

Vacant houses could cost more than £1.8 million in extra rates in the district council area - money which will have to come out of the pockets of local investors, builders and farmers.

This figure is based on a conservative estimate of a £500 bill per property, whereas the current average is more than £650.

As the finance minister focused on the £10 million revenue which could be raised country-wide, Fermanagh Ulster Unionist Mr Elliott spoke out against the new legislation.

He said Fermanagh's rate of empty houses was second only to Belfast and that many were owned by developers hit by the financial downturn or farmers with derelict homes on their properties.

There are one and a half times more empty houses in this county compared to neighbouring Omagh, which has 2250 vacant homes.

"While such a move would of course increase Fermanagh District Council's rates base, the wider negative impact would, to my mind, vastly outweigh any benefits," Mr Elliott said.

"For those clinging on in increasingly desperate times, a further charge could make survival impossible. The last thing we need is more mortgage defaulting, debt and bankruptcy to further upset an already fragile house of cards."

Builders will be helped by an 18-month exemption for unsold houses already built and those that are completed in the next financial year.

Mr Wilson said the scheme would open up opportunities for people looking for affordable housing.

"It should also not be forgotten that empty homes demand public services too - roads, police and fire services, public health and so on."

Eadie, McFarland & Co. managing director Walter McFarland said there had always been a large number of empty homes in Fermanagh.

"We always had high proportion of derelict houses on farms," he said.

He said this had not affected property prices, adding that the number of house sales had risen recently, encouraged by competitive prices.

"Prices are at the level now that they were at five or six years ago, before the boom," he said.

"The first home buyers end of market is most buoyant, with homes under £150,000.

"And there are more people buying to rent again in recent months."

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 01 Jul 10

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