MEASURES are being put in place to try to reduce the demand for affordable housing utilising empty homes.

This week marks National Empty Homes Week and Stroud District Council is using the opportunity to highlight the importance of bringing empty homes back into use.

The council believes addressing the problem with empty homes is particularly important in towns like Wotton-under-Edge where there is a massive demand for affordable housing but few opportunities to build due to the rural environment of the town.

A council spokesman said housing has a significant impact on the financial health of a district and plays an important role in its regeneration.

He added: "Properties which are left empty for extended periods can present problems for the surrounding community.

"Empty properties in the main shopping area, including empty flats or disused storerooms above shops, can make the town unattractive to visitors, discourage investment and fuel a spiral of decline."

The council has devised a number of initiatives to try to minimise the impact of empty homes and where possible persuade the owners to bring them back into use.

Schemes include offering regeneration grants to the owners to renovate or convert them for letting, offering help and advice and ensuring that owners carry out any work to prevent them from physically affecting neighbouring properties.

As a last resort the council has said it will consider compulsory purchase to buy the property and pass it on to a Housing Association.

Cabinet member for housing support Cllr David Wride (Vale) said there are around 1,000 homes lying empty in the district.

He added: "The council adopted a Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy in July 2003 which included the provision of a new grant system, the intention being to help promote the private rented sector in the district and reduce the number of empty properties"

Anyone who is affected by or knows of an empty property or owns an empty property and would like some advice is asked to contact council's empty homes officer Sue Whitney on 01453 754468 or technical officer Brian Rosser, on 01453 754449. Alternatively properties can be reported by emailing empty.properties@stroud.gov.uk or visiting the council's website at www.stroud.gov.uk