A hit-squad is to be set up to help tackle the problem of empty and poorly managed properties in Liverpool.

Liverpool City Council is putting together the specialist team to seek out and investigate problem landlords and take strong enforcement action where necessary.

It forms part of new plans by the city council to clamp down on poor landlords and work with Registered Providers to bring more than 1,000 empty properties back into use.

A three-year programme, which has been given the go-ahead by the Mayoral Cabinet today, will also see the city launching a range of new measures to tackle voids and improve standards of rented properties.

Extensive work has been carried out to identify priority areas in the city, where clusters of properties exist which have been vacant for more than six months. The city council will take a targeted approach to tackling these areas, which include:

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• the Knowledge Quarter and Eastern Approaches, where the targeting of vacant properties will support the wider investment plans for the area

• County and Kirkdale wards in the north of the city, where tackling empty homes will support the regeneration plans within the North Liverpool Mayoral Development Zone.

Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Ann O'Byrne, said: "These wide-ranging plans show that we are serious about dealing with the empty homes which blight our communities. By taking steps to secure every penny of funding we can, supporting landlords who want to work with us and taking action against those who don’t, we are confident we can bring more than 1,000 properties back into use.

"We know it won't be an easy task, not least because of the significant financial challenges we are currently facing. But we are confident that by working with partners, landlords and residents we can make real in-roads into bringing new life to properties across the city and driving forward the regeneration of our neighbourhoods."

(CD)