The No Use Empty Initiative seeks to improve the physical urban environment in Kent by bringing empty properties back into use as quality housing accommodation and by raising awareness of the issues surrounding empty properties, highlighting the problems they cause to local communities. This objective is achieved through the provision of short-term secured loans (up to 3 years) to property owners.

The Growing Places Fund funding sought will enable Kent County Council to scale up their successful No Use Empty Residential project, facilitating the return of an additional 100 long-term empty properties to effective use. This project is expected to deliver benefits across the whole of Kent, with property owners from all 12 Kent districts able to apply for a loan. It is also anticipated that the initiative will extend into the Medway area for the first time.

The No Use Empty initiative supports SME’s by encouraging the spend of funding on local goods and services. The project also creates and safeguards jobs, creates new residential accommodation, generates new Council Tax receipts through the conversion of larger buildings into multiple units and has contributed to the regeneration of town centres via the No Use Empty Commercial project (GPF Rounds 2 and 3).

Growing Places Fund

The Growing Places Fund (GPF) was established by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (formerly the Department for Communities and Local Government) and the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2011. The aim of this funding is to unlock economic growth, create jobs and ‘kick-start’ house building at stalled development sites.