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April 2021 April 2021
A CAUTIONARY TALE The Housing Team is urging people to come forward to report or seek help to
deal with a long-term empty property. DC employs a dedicated Empty Homes
Officer to investigate cases, help us identify the worst properties and then take
To all those of a certain age (old) who are perhaps moving into a Care Home or the most appropriate action. We always start by offering owners of empty
other home in the sky I offer this invaluable advice! From personal experience I properties advice and assistance about how they can bring a property back into
and my daughter have been helping my nephew clear my sister's bungalow use. Loans of up to £25,000 are also available from Lendology Community Interest
ready for it to be sold as she is now in a Care Home and unfortunately I think I will Company to help carry out repairs to bring the property back into use. Owners of
not be far behind!!! properties that have been empty for two years or more may be able to claim a
reduced rate of VAT on renovation or alteration works.
Do you REALLY NEED the following items:
 2 large wardrobes of clothes - mostly too big due to weight loss If offers of help and assistance haven’t worked and a property is affecting the
 15 pairs of new or nearly new Hotter shoes all in boxes (size 4) Any offers? local community, robust enforcement action will be considered to bring the
property back into use. This can include compulsory purchase or taking over the
 20 packets of doilies and 10 packets of paper napkins. property by an Empty Dwelling Management Order. We are now actively
 30 toilet rolls working on over 30 of the worst empty properties where such action is either
 12 packets of cereals being progressed or considered. From April this year, houses which have been
empty for 10 years or more will be charged 400% or quadruple Council Tax. This
 4 boxes of washing powder will mean an increase from £2,000 to £8,000 a year for a typical band ‘D’ empty
 20 bars of Dove hand soap plus home.
numerous fancy soaps

 200 large books - nearly all
history or art - but no Laptops
paperbacks! Pupils across Dorset have benefitted
 40 drinking mugs from more than 4,500 laptops and
 3 canteens of cutlery tablets to date, as the government
 20 pairs of scissors hits an important milestone in its roll-
ou t of de vi ce s to s u pport
 7 umbrellas disadvantaged young people. More
 2 brand new Kettles - she liked than 1 million devices have now been
the old one better! delivered to schools and local
 About 50 glass plates or ornaments. authorities across England as part of a
 5 vases of silk flowers - the daffodils are really realistic! £400million investment that will support
schools and young people for years to
 3 black plastic bags of miscellaneous papers dating back to the 1950's come.
which have duly been burnt.
 Need I go on - does this sound like your house? A total of 31,147 devices have been delivered across the South West, including
4,521 in Dorset. This comprises 2,769 in the DC area and 1,752 in Bournemouth,
My sister was an avid collector of stamps, silk cards from the first world war, books Christchurch and Poole. The figures don’t include devices delivered directly to
marks, and postcards which all have to be disposed of - it is heart braking for my multi-academy trusts.
nephew but Care Homes are not cheap.
I hope nobody will be offended by this but it has made me think and start tiding Children returning to school
up mv own house!
97% of Dorset children returned to school on March 8th.
Enid
Plans are again in place to manage any cases of Covid 19 and all education
providers will continue to work closely with public health. If cases occur, Dorset

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