In November 2017 the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Shared Data Unit London's commuter belt had seen a spike in the number of homes left long-term empty despite a downward trend across the UK since 2010.
The England figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government included those which had been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for over six months but excluded second homes.
The unit also sourced and analysed figures on vacant homes from the National Records of Scotland, Data Unit Wales and Northern Ireland’s Land & Property Services to produce UK-wide findings.
The Shared Data Unit makes data journalism available to news organisations across the media industry, as part of a partnership between the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and the News Media Association. Stories generated by the partnership included:
- North-West Evening Mail:
- Derby Telegraph:
- Pirate FM:
- Cornwall Live:
- Cumbria: Times & Star:
- Bristol Post:
- Lancashire Telegraph:
- Bracknell News:
- Coventry Telegraph:
- The Gazette:
- Southern Daily Echo:
- Leicester Mercury:
- Bolton News:
- Bury Times:
- The Reading Chronicle:
- Scotland: Daily Record:
- Wales: Barry & District News:
- Mix 96:
- Swindon Advertiser:
- Bradford Telegraph & Argus:
- Scotland: The Herald:
- West Bridgford Wire:
- Kent Online:
- Wales: South Wales Argus:
- Bob FM:
- Nottingham Post:
- Essex Live:
- Devon Live:
- Grimsby Telegraph:
- The Shields Gazette:
- Hartlepool Mail:
- Hackney Citizen:
- Accrington Observer:
- Northamptonshire Telegraph:
- Daily Echo:
- Bournemouth: Buzz:
The story was also covered by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Midlands Today, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ WM, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Shropshire, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Hereford & Worcester and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Lancashire