FOI Request - Vacant Commercial Properties

Request 101003868792

I am requesting information regarding vacant or unoccupied commercial properties within the Moray Council area.

Specifically, I request:

1. A register or list of all commercial properties currently vacant, including:
Property address (or partial address if full disclosure is restricted)
Property type (e.g., retail, industrial, office, mixed-use)
Duration of vacancy
Ownership type (private, council-owned)
Any applicable business rates relief/exemptions due to vacancy

2. Summary data:
Total number of vacant commercial properties
Breakdown by vacancy duration (e.g., 6–12 months, 12–24 months, 24+ months)
Any trends over the past three years

Response 05-11-2025

1.&2. Moray Council does have a Non Domestic Rates database, which holds liability details for Non Domestic Rates properties; however, it does not hold information on whether these are commercial and/or vacant. Some examples are beach huts or workshops, which may or may not be commercial, since we do not hold the information. Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) – information not held, is applicable.

Furthermore, if we were aware of properties that were vacant then disclosing the addresses of empty properties could increase the risk of criminal activity being targeted at those premises, therefore this information would be exempt under section 35(1)(a) of FOISA; prevention or detection of crime. The public interest would be considered, and it would not be in the public interest to release this information as increased criminal activity would be detrimental to businesses and the local area.