The Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee met on 18 September 2025, to discuss a range of topics including empty properties, electric vehicle (EV) charging performance, and the committee's work programme. The committee reviewed a report on empty properties, which included data and management procedures, and also examined the performance and financial implications of the council's EV charging infrastructure programme.

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Performance

The committee reviewed a report on the performance of Dorset Council's EV charging infrastructure, which has expanded significantly since 2015 and now includes 379 public charging devices, 104 of which are council-sponsored. The expansion was supported by partnerships with Mer and Joju Solar, as well as funding from national schemes like LEVI¹ and ORCS². The infrastructure aims to provide both 'destination' and 'residential' charging, particularly benefiting households without off-street parking. Key findings from the report included:

• Charger usage is steadily increasing, reflecting improved availability and rising EV ownership, which accounts for approximately 5% of vehicles in Dorset.
• Financial analysis suggests that EV chargers have not negatively impacted parking income, with income generally increasing across sites with chargers.
• The programme has delivered over 200 sockets with a capital investment exceeding £19 million.
• Challenges remain, including grid capacity limitations, legal and planning barriers, and site viability, especially in rural areas.

The report noted that the council receives £0.0153 per kW dispensed, and has received £31,727 in EV charger income since 2021. The report also noted that:

Parking income at any given time will only be impacted when a car park is at maximum capacity, the charging bays are not in use, and the motorist opts to seek out free parking elsewhere or drives on. If they choose to park in an alternative Dorset Council car park there would be no loss of income.

The committee was informed that 154 Penalty Charge Notices have been issued since 2022 for parking in an electric vehicle bay without charging, generating £7,035 in revenue.

The report also included key performance indicators (KPIs) that will be used for the forthcoming on-street programme, including metrics for project delivery, user experience, sustainability, and financial reporting.

Empty Properties Update

The committee reviewed a report providing an update on empty or unused properties owned by Dorset Council. As of 10 September 2025, there were 115 vacant properties, with 69 being non-housing sites, representing a vacancy rate of less than 2%. The 69 non-housing properties were further divided into vacant sites and lettable units.

The reasons for non-housing properties being vacant included:

• 27 vacant lettable units, with 22 in the process of being re-let.
• 24 empty properties under review to consider future use.
• 14 empty properties held for repurposing, such as for reablement³, extra care, or regeneration opportunities.
• 8 empty properties on the disposals or transfers list. The median period for which a non-housing property is empty is 37 months, broken down as follows:
• Vacant lettable unit: 25 months
• Property held for asset review: 35 months
• Property held for repurposing: 56 months
• Property held for disposal: 13 months

The report indicated that 46 of the 249 Dorset Council housing properties were vacant. In 2024, a new housing voids management process was implemented to expedite the turnaround of housing voids, resulting in improvements to turnaround times. Voids are categorised as minor, major, or exceptional, depending on the level of repairs required, with corresponding turnaround targets.

The report stated that the cost of holding empty properties in 2024/25 was £467,100, including holding costs, security and rates.

The report also noted that the Strategic Asset Management Plan 2024-2030 sets out the council's asset review process, which ensures that all council asset classes are reviewed regularly (once every three years) as part of a rolling programme of reviews.

Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme and executive arrangements forward plans. The committee also considered urgent items, but there were none.