Staffordshire Police notified the Stoke-on-Trent City Council empty homes team of 149 properties used as cannabis factories over the past four years, and the council brought 99 of them back into use as homes.[1] The Sentinel confirmed the council’s figure: 149 houses had been used as cannabis factories, and 99 are now occupied again.[2] The council’s housing, regeneration and operations scrutiny committee received an update on the partnership between its empty homes team and the police.[1] Tomos Jones, strategic manager for housing, told the committee that the council’s programme of returning properties to use is ‘very active’.[1]
Council chiefs recently created a £1 million capital fund to support the empty homes team’s work over the next two years.[1] The team usually brings around 100 properties back into use annually, but with the additional resource it is expected to reach 150 this year, potentially 200 a year in future.[1]
Councillor Duncan Walker, cabinet member for housing, praised the team as ‘unsung heroes’ and described the additional funding as positive.[1]
