Residents’ joy at empty home action

Ashfield District Council’s scrutiny panel A has been looking into the issue of empty homes and heard first-hand about the problems residents encounter due to living next door to empty properties.

Chris Clarke, who lives on Co-operative Street in Stanton Hill, was one of those who spoke to the panel and now three empty houses on his street and two others elsewhere in Stanton Hill are to be made habitable again using Homes and Community Agency grant funding.

Mr Clarke said: “I am delighted by the initiative being taken by Ashfield District Council to bring these homes back into use.

“It has been a nightmare living next to these derelict homes - we have been plagued with the anti-social behaviour these homes attract.”

Coun Jim Aspinall, chairman of the scrutiny panel, said: “Mr Clarke gave a very moving and powerful description of what it is like living next to derelict homes.

“I am pleased we have been able to help him and make the homes on Co-operative Street the first to benefit from ADC’s Empty Homes strategy.”

Coun Chris Baron, the leader of Ashfield District Council, said that empty homes in other areas will also be brought back into use.

“Stanton Hill needs rejuvenating - residents need a sense of pride put back into areas like Co-operative Street,” he said.

“We are pleased to be supporting Stanton Hill and there will be several more areas to come.”

A council spokesman added: “The council uses a number of processes to tackle the long-term empty homes in the district with the aim of returning properties into the private-rented sector to assist with the growing number of people in need of a home.

“Ashfield’s communities will benefit from the reoccupation of long-term empty properties, providing affordable housing for those people in need and reducing anti-social behaviour connected to long-term empty properties.”