Pembrokeshire County Council has addressed a 'lack' of new housing options appearing on its Choice Homes website.

The county council has noticed that residents have seen a decrease in properties listed for letting on their platform, while at the same time observing a number of empty homes in their local areas that aren’t being advertised.

The county council says it is working continuously to improve and expand its housing stock, partly in response to the high demand.

However, they have pointed out that the number of council properties falling vacant has decreased in recent years which has resulted in fewer homes being available for re-letting.

Historically, approximately 10 per cent of council stock became available for letting each year.

However, this percentage has been reduced to around only 5 per cent of stock.

This partly explains the fewer properties appearing in the weekly Choice Homes adverts.

The council also elaborated on why vacant properties are not immediately appearing on the Choice Homes listings.

It seems to be due to various reasons including major refurbishments to meet Welsh Housing Quality Standards, updates required as part of PCC’s decarbonisation efforts and damp proofing work.

Additional causes include ensuring that fire safety regulations are met which means blocks of flats and some sheltered accommodations may need to stay vacant so that upgrades or demolitions can be scheduled.

Other reasons for retaining vacant council homes includes their use as ‘decant’ properties for existing tenants whose current properties are unsuitable for occupancy during renovations.

Larger properties, typically in areas with more stock, are preferred for use as decants to avoid incurring unnecessary costs on updating other properties.

Cabinet member for housing operations and regulatory services, Cllr Michelle Bateman said: "We understand the frustrations of those who have been waiting for suitable accommodation for some time but don’t see the homes coming on to the bidding list."

"The Building Maintenance service has been recruiting more staff and contractors to help meet the demand for these works.

"Over coming months residents will likely see houses being brought back into use and an improvement to the flow of houses on to Choice Homes."

As of March 1, there are 5,186 households on the Choice Homes register.

Statistics can be found on the Choice Homes website under the ‘New Customers’ Tab including the number of properties advertised throughout the year, as well as banding and registration dates for successful bidders.