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Seòmar agus comataidhean

Question reference: S6W-00751

  • Date lodged: 15 June 2021
  • Current status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 July 2021

Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many empty commercial properties there have been in each local authority in the South Scotland parliamentary region, in each year since 2011.


Answer

The following table shows the number of properties receiving a non-domestic rates relief or exemption from rates for unoccupied properties since 2011, except for 2014 and 2017 as no data is available for those years. The figures are as at the snapshot date and may therefore underestimate final numbers of recipients in a given year, and include entire local authority areas as data by parliamentary region is not held.

Data for 2021 is expected to become available in late 2021.

Local Authority

2011

2012

2013

2015

2016

2018

2019

2020

Dumfries & Galloway

400

590

590

560

520

540

490

460

East Ayrshire

400

450

440

290

330

190

190

160

East Lothian *

290

270

230

230

210

260

260

280

Midlothian *

140

260

260

190

190

140

200

120

Scottish Borders

650

640

580

560

570

530

510

460

South Ayrshire

480

480

430

420

410

350

290

280

South Lanarkshire *

1,100

1,070

900

850

600

300

250

10

Data: Billing System Snapshots provided to the Scottish Government by local authorities.

* Some parts of these local authorities, included in the table above, are not part of the South Scotland parliamentary region.

"Properties" refers to subjects listed as separate entries in the Valuation Roll, and includes shops, offices, warehouses, but also self-catering properties, properties that do not necessarily contain buildings, etc. Figures exclude properties for which the rateable value is zero.

Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Reliefs and exemptions for empty properties are typically cancelled by local authorities at the beginning of each financial year, with ratepayers required to reapply. Therefore these figures are likely to underestimate the full number of unoccupied properties as at the snapshot dates.

The snapshot dates are: 31 March 2011, 17 May 2012, 1 October 2013, 1 October 2015, 5 October 2016, 1 June 2018, 31 May 2019, and 1 July 2020.