£29m to bring derelict houses back to use

TOWNS across the North West are to receive more than £29m of government funding to bring empty and derelict homes back into use.

Communities minister Don Foster announced that £91m being invested across England to refurbish and bring back into use more than 6,000 empty and derelict homes and commercial premises, and in particular in the Midlands and North where the problem is most acute.

The cash will be spent on refurbishment in areas where empty properties have often sparked problems such as squatting, rat infestation and collapsing house prices, driving remaining residents away.

Mr Foster said: “The government is doing everything possible to tackle the problem of empty homes and urban blight.

“This will bring people, shops and jobs back to once abandoned areas, and provide extra affordable homes we so badly need.”

The funding is being allocated under two programmes. Some £61m is from the second round of the empty homes funding programme.  Around two thirds of this (£41 million) is allocated by the Homes and Communities Agency to registered social landlords; and the remaining money to community and voluntary groups.

The second tranche, representing £30m, is funding for 20 partnerships in areas of acute problems such as Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Middlesbrough which will bring around 3,500 homes back into use.

Andy Rose, chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency said: “We had a very encouraging response to the funding across a wide range of types of property. This demonstrates a strong appetite and scope for bringing empty homes and properties back into use, which will help to reinvigorate our communities and towns.”

The government said £33m of the empty homes programme funding will go to the North of England, with a further £11m for the Midlands.

Cllr Sue Derbyshire, chair of Greater Manchester planning and housing commission welcomed the news and said: “This new funding will help us create 400 new affordable homes by bringing back into use properties that are currently standing empty and neglected,  and will help us create 98 new homes from empty commercial premises.
 
“This will breathe new life into neighbourhoods and support key priorities like diversifying our town centres.”
 
She said the work should create more than 250 building jobs and more than 200 jobs in supply services.