Wychavon Celebrates Success at the Empty Homes Network Awards 2025
Wychavon has made a significant impact in addressing the challenge of empty homes in the area, winning three prestigious awards at the Empty Homes Network Awards 2025 held on 21 May 2025, in Birmingham.
These awards include the Rising Star Award, which was proudly given to Wychavon’s Empty Homes Officer, Ann-Marie Bishop; the Best Use of Media Award; and a Highly Commended recognition for the Meeting the Challenge Award.
Facing the challenge of abandoned properties in the district, Wychavon shifted from a reactive to a proactive approach in just under a year, after committing in the We Are Wychavon Plan to identify empty homes and develop options for bringing them back into use by 31 March 2025. With the introduction of their first Empty Homes Officer and a comprehensive mapping exercise, the council effectively identified and prioritised cases for targeted interventions.
In total, Wychavon has successfully brought 14 empty homes back into use, fostering community engagement and empowering residents to report issues.
Ann-Marie Bishop, Empty Homes Officer at Wychavon, said: “Winning these awards reflects our commitment to tackling empty homes. Wychavon’s Empty Homes Strategy emphasises meaningful change, turning challenges into opportunities for a brighter community, and we pride ourselves on our collaborative approach that focuses on people.”
Cllr Rick Deller, Executive Board Member for Housing, Regulatory and Customer Services, said: “I would like to offer my congratulations to our housing and communications teams on this success, particularly Ann-Marie Bishop, who has worked tirelessly on this project. Wychavon is committed to making changes to address the issue of empty houses in the district. The award is testament to strong partnership work across the district, and we'd like to thank the community for their support.”
Wychavon recently resolved a complex empty homes case involving an abandoned property linked to anti-social behaviour, restoring it for community use. Additionally, after 14 years of vacancy, they helped a homeowner sell a property that had been renovated, improving conditions for nearby residents.
Date: 10 June 2025
Notes to Editor:
Residents can still report empty homes on Wychavon’s website: https://www.wychavon.gov.uk/housing/empty-homes
We Are Wychavon Plan: https://www.wychavon.gov.uk/about-wychavon-district-council/we-are-wychavon-plan
The 2024/25 promises: https://www.wychavon.gov.uk/component/fileman/?view=file&routed=1&itemless=1&name=Appendix%20A-%202024-25%20Q1%26Q2%20promises%20performance.pdf&folder=Documents/About%20your%20council/Performance/2024&container=fileman-files