Revealed: Hundreds of council homes empty as thousands wait for turn

A further 3,462 privately-owned homes are also sitting empty in the city.

As of last month, a total of 296 council homes were vacant, with 9,423 people on the housing waiting list.

Bilston East Ward = 133

Bilston North Ward = 139

Blakenhall Ward = 222

Bushbury Ward = 119

Bushbury South and Low Hill = 181

East Park Ward = 138

Ettingshall Ward = 191

Fallings Park Ward = 106

Graiseley Ward = 278

Heath Town Ward = 165

Merry Hill Ward = 130

Oxley Ward = 92

Park Ward = 327

Penn Ward = 197

Spring Vale Ward = 143

St Peter's Ward = 289

Tettenhall Regis Ward = 210

Tettenhall Wightwick Ward = 206

Wednesfield North = 89

Wednesfield South Ward = 107

UKIP councillor Malcolm Gwinnett, who represents the Spring Vale ward, said: "My reaction to this is that it's no better than it was 10 years ago and that's the sad part about it really.

"If you think, that's potentially 300 families of the 9,000 or so that could be automatically rehoused.

"My opinion is that Wolverhampton owners have not put enough effort into the work that needs to be done to some of these houses.

"The problem is some of the houses need extensive work and so it is down to resources and the council don't seem to allocate enough resources."

But Wolverhampton council leader Roger Lawrence said the figures were just a snapshot and that there will always be properties empty as tenants move out and the council gets the houses ready for the next set of tenants.

He said: "This figure is just a snapshot. We have 20,000 properties in the city and obviously if people move out and if there's work to be done then they will stay empty for a while while work is carried out.

"Sometimes residents move out without giving notice which means we can't move somebody in immediately."

Of the 3,462 empty privately-owned properties, the Park ward has the most with 327, while Wednesfield North has the least with 89. Other wards with high numbers include St Peter's with 289, Graiseley with 278 and Blakenhall with 222.

Shelter, the housing and homeless charity, accepted that at any point a certain number of homes will be empty in the city but expressed concern over the size of the waiting list.

In a report released for 2015, it suggested that taxes should be raised on empty properties to encourage landlords and councils to fill them.

The report said: "The tax system could be used more proactively to incentivise the use of empty homes.

"Giving councils greater discretion to charge even higher rates of council tax on long term empty homes (of which there are around 280,000 in England), and strongly encouraging them to do so could further incentivise their re-use."