Bring empty properties back into use!‏

Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that there are almost 600 empty properties currently in the Bath and North East Somerset Council area.

The properties, which have been uninhabited for more than six months, are located in places all over the district from Keynsham to Batheaston, and from Midsomer Norton to Peasedown St John.

The news comes at the same time that Conservative controlled B&NES Council has revealed proposals that could see an extra 15,000 additional house built in the authority by the year 2026.

Gail Coleshill, the Prospective Lib Dem MP for North East Somerset, has been an active voice against the housing building plans – particularly on the green belt. She said:

“If the Council can bring some of these empty properties back into use that would be a benefit in tackling the housing needs we have. Let’s first use some of these properties that already exist for new homes before we even think of building anymore.”

The Lib Dems want the council to more to do more to bring some of the boarded up properties in B&NES back into use.

Local campaigner Louise Bray believes that we need to adopt the same approach as Mendip District Council whereby landlords are offered grants, professional guidance on lettings, rent deposit schemes and private sector leasing.

Louise commented:

“If B&NES Council were to adopt the same approach as our colleagues in Mendip, many of these 600 properties could be brought back into use which would be a great help in providing much needed social housing.”

The Lib Dems first raised their concerns about the number of empty properties in the authority in November 2008 when Peasedown Councillor Sarah Bevan highlighted the issue at a meeting of the B&NES Full Council.

Following this, in January 2009, the Cabinet Member for Housing confessed at a public meeting to Councillor Nathan Hartley that he had no idea of the number of empty properties in B&NES.

The above photo shows Lib Dems Gail Coleshill and Louise Bray outside the old St Nicholas Junior School in Radstock, with has been empty for years. Gail and Louise want to see empty properties like this used for social housing.