Nearly 1,900 homes stand empty in Ipswich as council falls short of target

Figures from October 2025 show 1,890 vacant properties across the borough, of which 411 were long-term empty. Yet Ipswich Borough Council announced in March this year that it had helped return just 14 long-term empty homes to use during the preceding year, against a published annual target of 50.

The figures raise questions about the pace at which existing housing is being brought back into occupation at a time when demand for affordable homes remains high.

The problem also extends well beyond Ipswich. Across East Suffolk, Babergh and Mid Suffolk, another 6,156 homes were recorded as vacant, taking the combined total across the four council areas to 8,046.

Council achieves just 28% of its annual target

Ipswich Borough Council's Housing Delivery Action Plan, published in June 2025, sets an annual target of bringing 50 long-term empty properties back into use.

The council expected approximately 80% of these homes to be recovered through correspondence and encouragement to property owners, with a further 10% through grants and 10% through enforcement action.

However, its March 2026 announcement confirmed that only 14 properties had been returned to use over the previous year, equivalent to 28% of that target.

The action plan also revealed that the council's Private Sector Housing Team had assisted in bringing 48 long-term empty properties back into occupation across the entire three-year period from 2022 to 2025 - an average of just 16 a year.

The council has previously highlighted its success in reducing the number of long-term vacant homes from 574 in 2020 to 398 in 2024. But the October 2025 figure of 411 suggests that progress has not been sustained, with the number edging upwards again.

There is an important distinction here. The annual target measures properties returned to occupation through the council's work, rather than every home that becomes occupied through the ordinary housing market. Nevertheless, the latest reported performance remains substantially below the council's stated ambition.

More than 8,000 empty homes across the surrounding districts

The wider figures demonstrate that empty housing is not simply an Ipswich problem.

In East Suffolk, 3,608 properties were recorded as vacant, including 1,420 that had been empty for the long term.

Babergh had 1,170 vacant homes, including 421 long-term empty properties, while Mid Suffolk recorded 1,378 vacant properties, of which 503 were long-term empty.

Together with Ipswich, that amounts to 8,046 vacant homes, including 2,755 long-term empty properties, according to the October 2025 figures.

Not all of those homes are abandoned or available for immediate occupation. Properties can be empty while changing ownership, undergoing refurbishment or awaiting probate. The long-term figures offer a more useful indication of properties that may require intervention.

What is Ipswich Borough Council doing about it?

The council operates an Empty Homes Policy aimed at identifying properties that have remained unoccupied and encouraging their owners to return them to use.

Its first approach is generally to offer advice and practical assistance. Where a property has been empty for more than six months, officers can contact the owner to establish their intentions.

If voluntary cooperation fails, the council has powers that can include Empty Dwelling Management Orders and enforced sales, depending on the circumstances.

It also uses council tax premiums to discourage owners from leaving properties empty for extended periods.

In March, Councillor John Cook, the council's portfolio holder for communities and sport, defended the authority's approach, saying: "There is a real need for good-quality housing in Ipswich, and every home brought back into use makes a difference."

He said the council was working with property owners to find practical solutions that would benefit both homeowners and the wider community.

The authority also has a cross-departmental Empty Properties Action Group, bringing together officers from housing, council tax, planning, legal services and other departments. It is intended to coordinate action against problem properties.

However, enforcement can be expensive and time-consuming, and the council says it considers the likely costs and benefits before taking formal action.

Why empty homes matter

An empty property is not necessarily a problem for its neighbours. Many are temporarily vacant for perfectly ordinary reasons.

But homes left unoccupied for years can deteriorate, attract vandalism, encourage fly-tipping and become an eyesore for surrounding streets.

They also represent housing that could potentially be returned to use without the delays associated with creating an entirely new dwelling.

The council's own Housing Strategy recognises the contribution that existing empty homes could make towards addressing local housing needs, while improving neighbourhoods affected by neglected properties.

And although the number of long-term empty homes in Ipswich remains below the 2020 peak, the council's latest reported performance shows that returning them to occupation continues to be a challenge.

The authority has committed to continuing its engagement with owners and prioritising homes that cause the greatest problems for local communities.

For now, however, the figures leave a substantial gap between Ipswich Borough Council's ambition of returning 50 long-term empty homes to use each year and the 14 it most recently reported achieving.

Residents can report properties they believe have been left empty for extended periods directly to the council's Private Sector Housing team.

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