Empty homes 'stand at 3,000'
Almost 3,000 homes in Northampton are lying empty while greenfield sites are built on across the county, new figures show.
The numbers have been published by the Liberal Democrat Party, who criticised the Government for pushing through new houses in Northampton while existing properties fall into disrepair as the waiting list for a council house is 6,000 people long.
Andrew Simpson, the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Northampton North, said it cost 100,000 to build a council house but only 30,000 on average to refurbish an existing one. He added: "There is a house on my own street that has been empty for three years, others in the Kingsley area, lots more dotted about Northampton. People have been strongly opposing plans to build 1,500 homes on greenfield land at Upton Fields. If you did up half of these empty homes that would not be necessary."
The Lib Dems said they would give grants for owners of empty homes to bring them back into use and more power to local authorities to compulsory purchase them.
Empty homes 'stand at 3,000'
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Friday 25 May 2012
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