A Lincolnshire district council reportedly spent more money on empty properties than any other council in the East Midlands over the past two years.
West Lindsey District Council’s expenditure on these properties totalled £681,080 from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023 – a figure the council says is part of a “broader strategy.”
The data comes following research conducted by TaxPayers’ Alliance, which found that almost 5,000 council-owned buildings across the country were left empty during the two-year period. In the East Midlands, there were 273 empty properties between January 2022 and December 2023, costing councils £1,911,467.
The research examined non-residential properties owned by local authorities that were vacant for either all or some of the two years. It included information on what councils spent insuring, maintaining, renovating, and providing security for these properties, obtained via a Freedom of Information request.
In Lincolnshire, West Lindsey District Council topped the list with £681,080.40 spent on nine empty properties. North Kesteven District Council followed with £17,477.68 spent on 22 empty properties, while the City of Lincoln Council recorded the third-highest figure of £7,568.46 spent on ten empty properties.
South Kesteven District Council recorded six empty properties with a total expenditure of £168, but the data set was incomplete. East Lindsey District Council also recorded six empty properties but provided no financial data, and South Holland District Council recorded one empty property but no financial data.
Boston Borough Council and Lincolnshire County Council denied the Freedom of Information request.
A spokesperson for West Lindsey District Council, which recorded the highest expenditure in the East Midlands, said: “West Lindsey District Council is committed to transparency and accountability. Our expenditure on empty properties is part of our broader strategy to manage and reduce the number of vacant buildings, which can have significant social and economic impacts on the community.
“These costs include necessary measures such as securing, maintaining, and renovating properties to prevent deterioration and ensure safety. Moreover, a portion of these costs has been supported by external funding, aiming to boost local businesses and enhance the community’s economic vitality.
“After reviewing the data, it is evident that our position is partly due to the way the data was collected. We received a Freedom of Information request that included the revenue costs for maintaining, securing, and insuring each empty property the council owns.
“Additionally, our response included refurbishment costs for specific properties. It’s important to note that neighbouring councils may not have completed their FOI requests in the same manner, leading to an incomplete dataset.
“We actively review our approach to ensure that resources are used effectively and that we continue to support the community in the best possible way.”
Shimeon Lee, researcher at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Taxpayers will be amazed by the property portfolio that has been built up by big-spending town hall bosses. But what will really shock residents is the number of local authorities who have allowed prime real estate to sit vacant, despite complaining incessantly about the perilous state of their finances.
“Councils across the UK need to carefully review their assets and ensure they develop a strategy for any that are being under-utilised.”
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