Property: Here are how many empty homes there are in Calderdale and how council plans to fill them

It says there are currently around 2,500 homes in Calderdale which are empty, and more than 1,500 of these have not been lived in for more than six months.

Long-term empty homes can cause "nuisance to neighbours, potentially attracting anti-social behaviour and vandalism, as well as being a wasted resource in our communities”, says the council.

It can offer a range of support for owners, including advice on how to get renovation projects moving again and information on topics such as selling and renting, work that can be carried out on empty properties, community-led solutions and short-term finance options.

One recent case involved an empty property in Shelf which was going into disrepair and generating complaints as well as interest from people wanting to buy it.

The council says investigations meant it could identify family of the property’s deceased owner, who were granted probate so that it could be put on the market. It sold at auction earlier this month and should soon be occupied.

In serious cases, where properties have been empty long-term and have fallen into disrepair and are causing issues, the council has the power to apply for a Compulsory Purchase Order so it can acquire the property and ensure it is restored to a habitable condition.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Resilience, Coun Scott Patient, said: “We understand the many issues that can be caused by empty properties and an awful lot of work takes place to identify empty homes and try and resolve the issues which are stopping them being occupied.

“Sometimes the situation isn’t straightforward but by working with our partners, and using our enforcement powers when necessary, we’ve had some real success stories this year.

"I’m delighted that this hard work has been paying off and we’ve seen a significant reduction in the number of empty homes in the borough over the last 12 months.”

To find out more about the support available to owners of empty properties, or to highlight an issue with an empty home, visit the council’s website and search for empty homes.