Councillor launches town housing survey (From Ledbury Reporter)

Councillor launches town housing survey

10:10am Friday 17th October 2008

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MORE than one hundred properties in Ledbury are standing vacant according to a local councillor, who is launching her own housing survey to prove it.

The Herefordshire Councillor for Ledbury, Mary Cooper has used listings from the revenues department to highlight where the empty properties are.

Now she plans to knock on doors and call in at shops in particular to enquire whether empty flats above premises might be brought back into use, at a time when affordable housing in the area is in short supply.

Cllr Cooper, a former town mayor said: “I hope to raise awareness and get across the message that it may be possible to do a property up with a grant, and help someone who really needs it.

“I’ll be going round and seeing the owners of various properties, to see what the position is.”

Cllr Cooper pointed out that some of the 111 empty properties may already be advertised by local estate agents and some may offices, not residential accomodation.

She hopes to establish such facts for herself.

But her independent action ties in with the authority’s new “Bringing Empty Properties Back Into Use” policy.

Letters from the council’s housing administrator Claire Kyle have already been drafted to go out to owners of empty properties.

The letter states: “The bringing of empty properties back into residential use is an essential part of the overall housing strategy to meet the accomodation needs of the people of Herefordshire.

“The council can offer advice and assistance to bring a property up to a good standard and also has an enforcement role, to take action where properties are left unoccupied or are in a poor state of repair.”

The council has also produced an information guide, setting out various options that may be available to owners of empty properties, such as the possibility of grant aid for refurbishment.

Herefordshire Council figures released in June revealed that Ledbury had the highest house prices and rents for people seeking their first home.

Homepoint statistics released last November revealed that there were 201 applicants registered for a move in Ledbury alone, that month.

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