Carlisle City Council is continuing its efforts to tackle the issue of empty homes in the area, as figures show the number of empty properties in Carlisle is double the national average.

More than 1,000 homes across the Carlisle area are currently empty, equating to two per cent of homes in the district.

In late 2019, Carlisle City Council launched a grant initiative designed to support property owners return long-term empty homes to a habitable state.

Yesterday, the council's executive agreed to extend the scheme, and to raise the maximum amount available from £3,000 to £5,000.

The scheme targets properties that have been empty for more than two years.

Since the grant was first introduced, homes both in the city centre and the rural parts of the district have been restored to a habitable condition with the help of the scheme.

Of the properties that have benefitted so far from the scheme, the longest vacancy period was 14 years and 10 months, and one home now rented out had formerly been the target of arson.

There are currently 1,077 properties on the city council's list of empty homes, which represents about 2 per cent of all properties in the Carlisle district, about twice the latest known national average of roughly 1 per cent.

Jack Dilley, private sector housing technical team manager for the city council, briefed members of the authority's economic growth scrutiny panel on the proposed extension to the scheme at its meeting last Thursday.

Mr Dilley said it was important for the council to have a "balanced" approach to addressing the issue of empty homes, including both incentives and the use of enforcement measures where appropriate.

He said that addressing the issue of empty homes was not just "practical", but "moral" as well, and added that those who have been involved with the scheme so far have provided positive feedback.

Mr Dilley noted that one recipient had said the grant had "given them their life back".

He noted that the council had this year introduced a premium council tax measure, which doubles the council tax requirements for a property that has been empty for between two and five years, and trebles council tax for any property that has stood empty for five years or more.

Eight properties have so far been selected for the scheme, four of which are now occupied by owners, and three are occupied by rental tenants.

The completion of work on the eighth property had been delayed significantly due to access issues requiring a restraining order to resolve.

At yesterday's meeting of the city council's executive, economy, enterprise and portfolio holder, Conservative councillor Paul Nedved, welcomed the continuation of the scheme.

"With more than 1,000 empty properties in the city, of which 225 have been vacant for longer than two years, this city council continues to offer support and advice to local home owners in order to address this issue," he said.

"Empty properties can be a blight on neighbourhoods, and can attract antisocial behaviour, as well as being a wasted resource.

"Dealing with empty properties has significant social, economic and regenerative benefits."

City council deputy leader, Conservative councillor Gareth Ellis, added: "We definitely have gone with a carrot and stick approach to tackling empty homes".

"The stick is the increased council tax that we have for long-term empty properties.

"I believe it's approximately £80,000 we raise as a consequence of the increase in council tax for those empty properties.

"We have the stick approach, but we have the carrot approach, where we try to help landlords to get their properties into use.

"It's a massive social benefit to the city to not have empty properties, especially long-term empty properties".