More than 600 homes are standing empty in the Oban area while Argyll tackles a housing emergency, according to council figures.
Figures do fluctuate but the latest numbers have risen from 546 in November 2023.
The kind of properties exempt from council tax include where the owners have died or are detained elsewhere. Also, homes under demolition orders and those that have recently been occupied but are now empty and unfurnished.
Last month, the count included 369 empty properties, including those subject to paying premium council tax, plus another 236 homes classed as both empty and exempt from council tax payments, bringing the total to 605.
The November figures formed part of a report presented to Oban, Lorn and the Isles (OLI) Area Committee on March 6.
In 2022/23 there were 13 private empty homes brought back into use in the OLI area with the help of the council’s Empty Homes officer. Across the whole of Argyll and Bute last year there were 41 brought back into use.
Argyll and Bute Council was the first local authority in Scotland to declare a housing emergency and it has been working closely with partners to take action and address the homes shortage.
Some of the action taken so far includes the council approving more than £700,000 of funding to repurpose empty homes back into use and start work on key worker housing.
In November, the council hosted a Housing Summit bringing together 90 partners from public, private, third and community sectors, who all pledged to support action to deal with the problem.
By going online to track.vuelio.uk.com/z.z?l%3DaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXJneWxsLWJ1dGUuZ292LnVrL2hvdXNpbmcvaG91c2luZy1lbWVyZ2VuY3k%253d%26r%3D14518540471%26d%3D22262112%26p%3D1%26t%3Dh%26h%3D54570917d0178f60a0db5d6c128b5015&source=gmail&ust=1711700758712000&usg=AOvVaw1VLCUCQyltODORWGeXprOV">www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/housing/housing-emergency you can see an outcome report the council produced after the summit.
Council leader Councillor Robin Currie said: “Since we declared a Housing Emergency last year, we have focused considerable activity on exploring new methods and solutions to tackle the housing shortages in Argyll and Bute and to bring renewed focus to delivering business as usual in an accelerated fashion.
“The Housing Summit enabled us to get together with our partners to programme a broad range of activities, both in the short term and long term.
"We are fully committed to tackling the housing emergency in Argyll and Bute. We know the issues facing our communities and we will continue to work with our partners to target this collective action where it is needed most.”
More action taken since the summit includes funding to appoint a housing emergency project officer, considering re-use and redevelopment options for Oban’s Lorn House, which is currently empty.
Between June and November 2023, the council granted planning consent for 223 houses and it will keep working with registered social landlords to unlock new sites for housing development as well as lever in external funding.
Registered social landlords have confirmed, in principle, interest in council-owned sites on Tiree and Coll, and there is an options appraisal for Killarow House in Bowmore, Islay, to look at how it could be put to use, including land at the back of it.
Funding has also been approved for Strategic Development Plans for Oban/North Lorn and Helensburgh and Lomond.
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