The council is appealing to people who own empty homes to bring them back to use as rented accommodation.

Worcester City Council's plea comes as part of its ongoing initiative offering a council tax premium to discourage people from letting homes sit empty for two years or longer.

The announcement coincides with National Empty Homes Week, a nationwide campaign highlighting the work accomplished by councils and communities.

<hr>

Read more: Family living in tent in Pitmaston park helped by Maggs

<hr>

The week is dedicated to discussing strategies to bring vacant homes back into use and take action against neglected unoccupied properties impacting neighborhoods negatively.

In an example of such actions, the council has recently enforced the sale of a neglected Chestnut Walk property.

Having been vacant for over a decade, the former residence was in substantial disrepair, featuring overgrown vegetation, a hole in the roof, and alleged vermin issues.

Following the landlord's failure to comply with a 2019 formal notice for repairs and cleaning, the council performed the necessary maintenance and put a land charge on the property to reclaim the costs.

Worcester News: The abandoned Chestnut Walk has been renovated, and is ready to be rented out

Significant council tax arrears led the council to force the sale of the building, successfully recovering all owed debts.

Following refurbishment, the once abandoned house is now ready for tenants.

Vice chair of the council's communities committee, Cllr Neil Laurenson, thanked the involved departments for their dedication in resolving this case.

He said: said: “Most empty properties are well-maintained, but there are some exceptions. In this case, we took action to bring this neglected property back into a habitable state.

"It has not been an easy process and it is a last resort, but it is important for absent owners to remember that they still have responsibilities to their neighbours and the wider community. “I’d like to thank officers in our Planning, Legal, Land Charges and Housing departments for working so hard to resolve this issue." Cllr Laurenson concluded by warning of potential intervention by the council, saying: "The message is clear - if your property has a negative impact on others then the City Council can intervene and use its available powers to remedy this situation."