'Councils could bring empty homes back onto market'

Councils should be given incentives for refurbishing and bringing empty homes back into use, according to one organisation.

Empty Homes has presented a manifesto to the coalition government, who promised in May to salvage some of the UK's 66,000 derelict properties.

Houses that remain disused can attract crime and bring down house prices for surrounding properties.

The charity called on ministers to provide quangos with more powers and funding to deal with empty homes and to devise reward schemes for councils to get long-term homes on the market.

In addition, local residents should be given more autonomy to put empty homes on sale, if councils are too slow to act.

Commenting on the measures, Empty Homes' chief executive David Ireland said: "These actions would make a stunning difference enabling new homes to spring up out of empty buildings. It's achievable and it's affordable. But we need the government to act.

"And housing associations and councils need to know so that they can put measures in place to make things happen."

Posted by Royston Hunter

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