The number of empty houses is a UK-wide “scandal” when so many people are homeless, Gwynedd Council’s Care Scrutiny Committee has heard.

Housing Cabinet Member Cllr Paul Rowlinson was updating the committee on the council’s efforts to return empty properties back into use on 25 September, when he said: “It is a scandal so many houses are empty when there are so many people homeless”.

In Gwynedd, there were now 1,306 empty properties, the meeting heard.

Some 299 empty properties have been brought back into use, exceeding the council’s own target of 282.

Cllr Beth Lawton queried the number of long term empty homes in Gwynedd, where people paid the tax but where they were still unoccupied, and asked about those that had “fallen out of the system”.

Housing officer Gareth Owen said “considerable work” was undertaken in dealing with empty homes and at times it was “very difficult”.

There had been work to target the type of homes sitting empty for long periods, at times the number had been as high as 1450.

Further work to find the type of houses was ongoing and there were “considerable numbers standing empty” he said.

Cllr Rowlinson said council tax premiums on empty homes was aimed at encouraging owners to bring empty homes back into use.

He noted some councils increased the level the longer a property stood empty.

“In Gwynedd no decisions have been made” but he added that ” discussions were in the pipeline over what to do about longer term empty homes” he said.

Cllr Gwynfor Owen welcomed the report, saying it was a good idea to look at houses empty for a lengthy time and to raise their premiums “considerably, say after five years”, but warned the scheme should not be “one size fits all” and queried the council’s one year rule.

“There are houses that take more time to sell in some parts of Gwynedd than others.

“There are also different kinds of houses, a smaller one might sell sooner than a bigger one, or the other way round.

“Thinking about people who have lost relatives, left with a house on their hands, it doesn’t mean they have the money, but they may just have a house.

“A one year period does not give them much time to sell.

“I think it is rather unfair on some, I know it’s difficult.

“It can cause great concern and worry for people who may have just lost a relative. I just wanted to put the observation out there.”

He also described an empty building in his ward as a “headache” where “dozens of people resided at one time”. Empty for several years, he said it attracted problems, anti-social behaviour and mess.

Cllr Lawton acknowledged Cllr Owen’s concerns over bereaved relatives, adding for them to be expected to do work on an empty house in a year was “a huge task” adding it “wasn’t easy to get a builder”.

But she noted the “council tax premium doesn’t kick in until probate kicks in, which can be a lengthy time”.