How many homes in Dorchester and empty, or seldom occupied?

The question is being asked by Cllr Alistair Chisholm who is fighting proposals for thousands more homes for the town on the basis the county town has a shortage of available properties.

He told town councillors on Tuesday evening that he believes too many homes in Dorchester might have been bought for investment with many not occupied at all.

“We should have that information before we concede on the Dorchester North proposals,” he said.

Cllr Robin Potter said he had no doubts there were some empty homes and said that a house opposite where he lived had been empty for two years, having been bought by Americans, who visited only once.

Cllr Fiona Kent-Ledger warned about interpreting the figures, assuming they could be found: “Not every empty property is an investment property. There are quite a few people who find themselves unwilling landlords through family circumstances,” she said.

The meeting heard that the Dorset Councils Partnership has an empty properties officers whose task is to track down empty homes and persuade their owners to let them be used again.