Warrington Borough Council has confirmed 825 of these have been empty for six months or longer. Officers are currently unable to say how many have been empty for five years of longer, as the authority is part way through council tax billing for the next financial year. The council says its aim is to bring empty properties back into use as quickly as possible. A spokesman said: “To support this work, we employ an empty property officer who regularly inspects empty houses in the borough to check their condition. “We try to work with owners to bring properties back into use, providing advice on appropriate options such as renovation, rental, or sale.