Southwick 44 empty council homes refurbishment
Why did 44 Southwick council flats build up as long-term voids, how long were they empty, what did the backlog cost in lost rent and housing pressure, and was the £2m three-contractor procurement demonstrably good value?
Related fact check: Southwick empty homes: what does the £2m programme promise? Reviewed 3 September 2026. This does not close the investigation.
CURRENT POSITION
The original 30 August request and overlapping 31 August clarification form one consolidated chain about the 44 empty homes. This is separate from the wider estate regeneration case.
NEXT ACTION
Await confirmation of consolidated handling and examine void periods, refurbishment costs, rent loss and the delivery programme.
RESPONSIBLE BODY
Adur District Council / Adur Homes
REFERENCE / TIMING
No authority reference recorded
No newly verified response date in this release; existing provisional dates are not presented as confirmed deadlines.
Status checked: 3 September 2026. An acknowledgement is not a substantive response. Research questions are not findings of wrongdoing.
Public sources
- June 2026 announcement – 44 flats, up to £2m, three contractors, six-month ambition — Adur & Worthing Councils
- Empty homes page – prior triage approach and backlog explanation — Adur & Worthing Councils
- 30 Apr 2026 decision names Ecosafe, HMG and GDM; £2m budget; procurement alternatives — Open Council Network / council record
- 28 Jul 2023 direct-award void contracts to reduce backlog — Open Council Network / council record
- Ecosafe Heating Limited corporate record — Companies House
- HMG Building Services Ltd corporate record — Companies House
- GDM Building Solutions Ltd PSC record — Companies House
- 2023 void backlog decision – two direct-award contractors to heavily reduce backlog — Open Council Network / council record
- Housing Strategy 2025-30 – faster void turnaround and long-term void commitment — Adur & Worthing Councils
- Adur Together June 2025 – 47 homes refurbished in Jan-Mar 2025 — Adur & Worthing Councils
- 2023 regulatory notice – housing safety/stock-data failings — Regulator of Social Housing
- TSM 2023/24 – repair timeliness performance — Adur & Worthing Councils