A Freedom of Information request submitted by the Times has found Braintree Council currently owns 30 empty commercial units and two empty houses. In the financial year from 2024 to 2025, the council spent £17,190.12 on associated maintenance costs for those buildings, which it says was limited to changing locks, securing the property and minor repairs. Braintree Council also no longer owns or runs social housing, which was transferred to housing association providers. The commercial units are mostly vacant short-term, the Times is told, as the units remain in high demand and are advertised and re-let when tenants leave. The use of the council’s portfolio of buildings it owns is regulated through planning policy, where any change of use would be subject to planning permission.
