New figures show fewer long-term empty homes in East Devon despite the total rising in England.

Figures from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities show 312 homes in East Devon were long-term empty as of October – a decrease from 406 during the same period in 2022.

The figures cover the number of dwellings that have been empty for more than six months, excluding those due to flooding or properties left by people in prison.

Nationally, more than 261,000 homes were long-term empty. The number rose by 5% and is the highest since 2011, excluding the pandemic-related figures from 2020.

There were also over 263,000 properties registered as second homes, with 2,760 of them in East Devon.

In the South West, 23,898 homes were long-term vacant, 10.6% more than last year.

Separate figures show 22 homes owned by private registered providers in East Devon, which are self-contained social and affordable rent houses, were vacant in 2022.

A DLUHC spokesperson said: “We have reduced the number of long-term empty homes by more than 50,000 since 2010 by giving councils powers to bring empty properties back into use, delivering new homes for communities.

“Councils can increase council tax by up to 300% on long-term empty properties, and take over empty homes by Compulsory Purchase Orders and Empty Dwelling Management Orders.

“We recently laid out an ambitious long-term plan for housing and are on track to deliver one million homes this Parliament.”

Rebecca Moore, director of Action on Empty Homes, said: “It beggars belief that while children are growing up sharing beds in temporary accommodation, our nation has over a quarter of a million homes sitting empty.

“To say this is a national disgrace is a profound understatement.

“Long-term empties are a huge missed opportunity to invest in green retrofit and create new jobs.”