A ‘SCANDALOUS’ number of properties which remain empty in Barnsley must be brought back into use to reduce the amount of people still waiting for a council house, councillors have been told.

Berneslai Homes, which controls the council’s stock, has made progress in bringing empty properties back into use in recent months, according to council bosses.

However, there are still 273 voids on its latest register and weekly meetings regarding Barnsley’s empty properties are taking place in an effort to reduce the number of empty homes amid a thousands-strong waiting list for council housing.

A total of £4.6m has been set aside for both 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years specifically for renovating voids and bringing them back into lettable condition, as well as £6m for planned repairs.

There are 63 homes which have stood empty for a month, 80 for three months, 59 for six months and 71 for six months or more.

Out of the 273, just 35 are ready to be rented.

Councillor Robin Franklin, cabinet member for regeneration and culture, said: “Weekly void meetings and sub-team meetings are in place to focus on driving down the number of void properties across the portfolio.

“We expect to see a decrease in void properties over the remaining quarters.

“A key focus for Berneslai Homes is to reduce the number of vacant homes as this impacts both rent loss and, most importantly, our ability to provide social housing for people who need it.

“It is correct that there is a backlog of void properties which require major work.

“The end-to-end voids process has been reviewed by both the council and Berneslai Homes, with significant changes to streamline processes and reduce the time taken to re-let a home.

“This includes enabling our contractors to turn more properties around within ten days as part of the routine void process and better financial and performance monitoring.”

Aside from the council-owned empty homes, there are about 1,400 privately-owned houses which are without tenants in Barnsley.

There are also 80 properties that have been empty for five years and 32 that have been left vacant for a whole decade, leading the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to announce that council tax bills on long-term empty properties will double.

The rules, which will see a strengthened 100 per cent council tax premium on empty homes, will apply when a property has been empty for 12 months, down from the previous two-year term in an effort to force landlords to act.

The growing wait time for a three-bedroom social home has been called a ‘national scandal’, with the waiting list increasing by over a third in a decade.

New data compiled by the National Housing Federation, Crisis and Shelter shows the average wait for a three-bed social home in Barnsley is now 3.7 years.

Coun Jake Lodge, who represents Worsbrough, said more should be done to tackle the amount of houses still void in order to address tenants’ demand for moves.

“My ward’s been particularly impacted and there are many properties which need to be brought back into use given the amount of people who still are waiting for a council house,” he said.

“Statistics presented to councillors at a recent briefing suggest there are almost 300 voids borough-wide.

“All these should be brought back into the letting system to alleviate housing pressures faced by so many.

“It’s a win-win for the council as it isn’t cost-effective having so many standing empty.”

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By Jack Tolson

BARNSLEY Council say they are ‘committed’ to help build more than 9,000 ‘affordable’ houses in South Yorkshire over the next five years.

Housing targets are government-mandated numbers of new homes that local authorities are required to build annually to meet housing demand, address shortages and support economic growth.

They mean that councils are given specific goals, often based on factors like population growth and affordability, and must take action to meet them, such as revising planning rules and allocating land for development.

It was revealed by Coun Robin Franklin, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, that the South Yorkshire ambition for affordable homes in 9,000 over the next five years.

He said: “Barnsley’s five-year housing supply position for the period of 2024-2029 is a five-year net housing requirement of 9,215 dwellings.

“The five-year deliverable net supply is 5,305 dwellings.

“The housing five year supply note 2024/2029 is now available on the council’s website, along with the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan which sets out proactive measures to accelerate housing delivery across the borough.”

Coun Chris Wray, who represents the Dodworth ward, asked the original question and in his supplementary he questioned why Barnsley received little funding for building on brownfield sites.

However, Coun Franklin said there aren’t any, much to the dismay of the Lib Dem representative.

He told the Chronicle: “Our local plan was created in 2019 and remained in situ, the council refusing to update with targets, despite the significant amount of possible brownfield land in the borough.

“The three other South Yorkshire authorities developed their local plans after this fund was announced.

“This meant that Barnsley lost out on significant funding and are now using more green space than necessary.

“The cabinet member himself states that brownfield is key to unlocking in development but then said ‘we’ve got no brownfield sites’.”

Coun Franklin told the Chronicle: “Barnsley is committed to playing its part in achieving this target.

“In addition, the government has confirmed £12.3m for South Yorkshire in 2025/26 through the Brownfield Housing Fund.

“This funding is designed to help overcome barriers to bringing forward housing developments on brownfield sites and we're working with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to understand what this will mean in Barnsley.

“In respect of the local plan, it is not currently under review.

“A formal review, endorsed by full council on November 24, 2022 concluded that the plan remains fit for purpose and is effectively delivering its objectives.

“Consequently, no updates - either in whole or in part - are scheduled before the next review in 2027, unless an earlier review is triggered by significant changes, such as reforms to the national planning system."