5,000 homes sitting empty in Kirklees

In figures obtained by the Reporter Series, the council said 4,306 homes in Kirklees were empty and unfurnished, while a further 774 were empty and furnished.

It added that 755 of the empty properties had been unoccupied for more than two years, while 279 were bare due to the owner living in a care home.

These figures show a significant rise in long-term empty properties since January, when equivalent figures were obtained from a Freedom of Information request by Meltham Community Action Network.

Those figures showed only 498 properties had been empty for more than two years, meaning an increase of 257 – more than 50 percent – in just over three months.

The figures could be of interest to local action groups such as Save Mirfield, who have been consistently campaigning against greenfield development.

The figures were gathered by Kirklees Council through council tax records on April 20.

Empty homes figures in full:

4,306 empty and unfurnished properties.

774 empty and furnished properties.

755 long term (two years) empty properties.

21 properties where the resident is detained.

279 properties which are empty due to the owner being resident in a care home.

19 properties which must legally remain unoccupied.

26 properties where resident receiving care elsewhere.

10 properties vacant as former resident left to provide care.

One property where former resident is studying elsewhere.