Councils spent £74m maintaining empty properties over two years

摘要

Local authorities have spent millions maintaining empty properties over the last couple of years, anti-tax campaigners have revealed. Between January 2016 and December 2017, at least 6,047 council-owned commercial properties were declared vacant for all or part of that time. The TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) has calculated that local authorities have spent at least £74,022,381 providing security, insurance, and maintenance for, and renovation of, empty properties. Insuring the 6,000 plus properties cost at least £1,329,907, while security costs stood at £7,776,862. The cost of maintaining these properties is £8,085,664.