COUNCILLORS will discuss a £1 million action plan aimed at rejuvenating Bournemouth's empty properties at a meeting this September.

The Empty Homes Strategy, which aims to increase Bournemouth's housing stock, will be considered during a cabinet meeting.

The authority is planning to set aside £1m to assist with the costs of compulsory purchases, as well as offering incentives to property owners and introducing fresh enforcement measures.

The figure does not include the cost of actually buying the properties.

A draft report estimates almost one per cent of all dwellings in the borough are currently unoccupied, nearly 98 per cent of which are privately owned.

If the strategy is given the green light, the council will follow a three-stage approach to bring empty homes back into use.

At first, empty homes will be identified, before owners are given advice and encouraged to resolve the issue.

If the problem continues, the council can employ a range of 'enforcement options', including taking legal action and even obtaining compulsory purchase orders.

Councillor Robert Lawton, cabinet member for housing, said: "It is crucial that the council does everything it can to ensure empty homes are improved and used to provide much needed housing for local people, and help to reduce the negative impact that some empty properties have on the community.

"The strategy looks at supporting empty home owners to find solutions to bring the property back into use, but will consider taking a robust enforcement approach, if required, where homes stand empty for a long time and owners are unwilling to take action."

The plan is part of a five-year strategy.

In Bournemouth, there are around 88,000 homes across the borough, with 836 empty for more than six months.

As of May 2016, there were 4,356 households in need on Bournemouth's housing register.

In a report set to be considered at the meeting on Wednesday, September 7, empty homes officer Emma Ryan said: “Empty residential properties represent an opportunity to increase the housing stock in Bournemouth.

"Long term empty properties also often have a negative social, economic and environmental impact upon local communities.

"In the context of a borough with a significant housing shortage, it is essential that we maximise the use of these empty homes over the next five years to reduce the number of long-term empty homes in Bournemouth."

The meeting will take place at the town hall in Bournemouth from 10.30am.