1. A list of domestic properties within the [Council name] area that have been recorded by the council as empty (unoccupied and substantially unfurnished) for a continuous period of 6 months or more, for the period 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024. Please include: address (uprn if available), date first recorded as empty, current status (e.g., owner contact attempted, enforcement action, subject to sale), and whether the property appears on any council priority/empty-homes register.

2. Copies of any policies, guidance or internal criteria used to decide whether an empty-homes record is published publicly or withheld.

3. Copies of any relevant public-interest or s31 (prejudice to law enforcement) assessments, redaction logs, or reasons the council relied on when deciding to withhold or redact empty-homes addresses in the last 24 months.

Public-interest point and narrow scope:
I request this data because there is a strong public interest in the efficient use of housing stock and transparency about how local authorities are addressing empty properties in the face of housing shortages. The information requested is narrowly defined (one-year period) and will be used for research/monitoring of empty property re-use and council enforcement. If any specific addresses are withheld on the grounds that disclosure would prejudice the prevention or detection of crime (s31), please provide a redacted version and supply the specific and contemporaneous evidence on which the council relies to demonstrate the likelihood of prejudice for each withheld item (or explain why a meaningful public-interest balancing exercise supports non-disclosure).

If you refuse part or all of this request under s31 or any other exemption, please provide:
• The specific exemption relied upon and the full reasoning (not just the exemption name).
• The factual basis/evidence that disclosure would be likely to prejudice prevention or detection of crime (not speculation), and whether the prejudice is immediate or relates to ongoing investigations.
• The council’s public-interest balancing exercise and the factors considered for and against disclosure.
If you withhold the addresses themselves but can provide aggregated data (e.g., number of long-term empty properties by ward or postcode sector), please provide that as an interim release.