A woman in a pretty UK city has revealed her nightmare living next to an abandoned, collapsing building amid a nationwide housing crisis. Despite a housing shortage in England, the country faces a concerning increase in the number of empty homes over the last decade. There are over 700,000 abandoned properties, 264,884 of which are “long-term empty”, meaning no one has lived there for six months or more.
Ann Devereaux has lived in Bristol over 25 years, witnessing her St Werburgh’s community turn from a peaceful corner to a “magnet” for crime. The house next to hers has been left empty and collapsing, and is now overrun with pests. She said there have been violent incidents on her doorstep and the rotting smell from next door wafts into her living room.
Ann told the BBC: “It’s a place just available and open for misuse. Whether it’s men coming out and urinating against the wall, drug-dealing or fly-tipping.
“It makes me feel scared when I leave my house or come in at night. It’s wearing me down emotionally.”
She said the situation is “only getting worse” after the building’s roof collapsed, sending dozens of rats scampering into neighbouring gardens.
The concerned resident added: “It’s a wasted resource, and I know there are a lot of places like this which are empty and rotting and creating real problems.”
Bristol City Council said the owner has been ordered to make the building safe. If they do not comply, it could step in to carry out the repair works.
Sean Fudge of South Gloucestershire Council is working to tackle the empty homes issue by tracking down the owners of the properties to bring them to justice.
So far, his local authority has brought back 47 properties into use this year. He said: “If left empty, they can lead to a spiral of decline, neglect and decay in a community.
“We initially try to engage with the owner, but when it becomes a detrimental impact to the wider neighbourhood, then we have to take enforcement action to stop that decline.”
Councils can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) if a property has been empty for over two years and the owner is not cooperating, giving it the right manage and potentially improve it.
However, this option is rarely utilised as it’s a long and complex process, with costs being recouped through rent when a property is habitable.