A HOUSE in Coalpit Heath which has been empty for 16 years is being taken over by South Gloucestershire Council.

The home has been lying empty for nearly two decades but now the authority wants to let the property to people who need somewhere to live.

The house is being made the subject of an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) as part of the council’s Empty Homes Strategy. It is the last resort for the council after the owner refused a low interest Empty Homes Loan and advice on how to improve the property’s condition.

Cllr Matthew Riddle, executive member for community care and housing, said: "Returning empty properties to use is a key concern for local communities, which is why we have invested extra resources in tackling this problem. "Obviously where possible we want to work with owners and find positive voluntary solutions that avoid the use of an Empty Dwelling Management Order, which is a last resort."

EDMOs are used when a property has been empty for over three years for no justifiable reason. The council will now carry out maintenance work to the house and then lease it to new residents.

South Gloucestershire has around 100 properties which have been empty for more than three years but the authority is working on reducing that number to meet local housing demand.

The Empty Homes Strategy has re-let 103 properties in the past six months.

Sarah McNamara, empty homes officer, said: "Before the introduction of EDMOs, neighbours living next to long-term empty properties often had to put up with an eyesore as we relied on the co-operation of the owner to bring their empty property back into use. "Now we have the legal power to take positive action that will benefit the whole community."