WEST Somerset Council looks set to get tough on the owners of empty properties in a bid to provide much-needed local homes and bring extra funding into the district.

The authority already offers advice and support to empty home owners, including help on letting and managing properties and details on how to apply for improvement loans.

But those services could soon be backed up by the threat of legal action if property owners repeatedly fail to bring their property back into use.

Cabinet members were due to be asked today (Wednesday) to recommend the council adopts a new enforcement policy later this month.

The policy would clear the way for three different laws to be used against empty home owners which would either enable the council to take control of a property, secure public access or prohibit the use of a building deemed too expensive to be repaired.

Councillors were due to be told each property would be looked at on a case by case basis in partnership with officers at neighbouring Taunton Deane Borough Council and Sedgemoor District Council.

Ian Timms, West Somerset's corporate housing manager, said that even if the policy was adopted, officers would still encourage owners to bring their properties back into use by offering help and advice in the first instance.

"If the owner, having been offered the advice and information above, still does not want to bring the property back into use, the partnership will consider using the council's appropriate enforcement powers to bring the property back into use.

"The partnership would not pursue enforcement action where to do so would be disproportionate.

"This will be considered alongside the benefits to the wider community that will arise from ensuring properties do not remain empty in circumstances that are unjustified," Mr Timms said.

He was due to tell councillors that tackling the issue of empty homes would have cost implications, with the bill for repairing or boarding up a property ranging anywhere from £1,000 to £45,000.

Equally, to compulsory purchase a property could be up to £250,000.

Cabinet members will be told that no money has been set aside in the current budget specifically to deal with the issue of empty homes as taking legal action was viewed as a last resort.

However, for every empty home brought back into use in West Somerset, the council would receive additional grant funding from central Government.