The Council must, by law, review the housing conditions
in its area from time to time. As a result, properties are
identified which have outlived their useful life or have been
abandoned. Many of these houses will be unfit for
habitation.
The Council then has to decide on the best course of action to
deal with the properties and this may be by including them in a
clearance area and subsequently demolishing them.
The First Steps in the Procedure
Regular reviews of housing conditions will highlight properties
that are suffering from high levels of unfitness and vacancy.
The Council must first decide to include properties in
principle in clearance areas, based on the estimated levels of
unfitness. In order to seek a Council decision to do this, a
report must be produced and the recommendation agreed by the
Council's Executive Committee. The Council must carry
out a detailed internal and external inspection of all the houses
it proposes to include in clearance. Following the survey of
the houses, the Council will be able to decide whether, in its
opinion, the houses are unfit for habitation and whether or not the
best way of dealing with the unfit houses is by their
demolition. Following the decision to include the properties
in proposed clearance areas the Council must carry out formal
consultation of all owners.
Formal Consultation Process
The Council must consult with all persons who have a legal
interest in the unfit properties. These may be
owner-occupiers, landlords, financial institutions e.g. banks,
building societies.
An advertisement will be placed in the local press indicating
that the Council intends to include the houses in clearance
areas.
In addition, the Council also sends a formal notice to all
interested parties of the unfit houses, inviting them to submit any
comments they have or make representations to the Council within 28
days of receiving the notice. There is also an assessment of
the future housing requirements of those that would be displaced by
clearance so that their housing needs can be accommodated.
Owners of properties that are fit for habitation will not
receive a formal notice and their properties will not appear in the
press advertisement. They will however, receive a letter
asking them for their comments on the clearance proposal within 28
days as their properties will be included in the compulsory
purchase order as added lands.
All tenants will also be consulted on the proposal and their
views will also be taken into account.
Further information regarding Clearance can be obtained by
using the contact details at the bottom of this page.
Council Tenants
Council tenants likely to be affected by property demolition work
will be informed by their Housing Officer and suitable arrangements
will be made.