A SENIOR Hyndburn councillor is urging the borough to follow a neighbouring authority's policy of buying up long-term empty homes.

Conservative planning spokeswoman Cllr Judith Addison believes the compulsory purchase of vacant properties and sale to buyers with conditions requiring their return to habitable standard and reoccupation is the way to bring more back into use.

She has written to Hyndburn Council leader Cllr Miles Parkinson on the issue after reading about Blackburn with Darwen Council's empty homes policy in Monday's Lancashire Telegraph.

Cllr Addison says a similar drive to buy and refurbish empty and unfit properties could cut Hyndburn's total of 1,755 vacant homes of which 675 were classed as 'long-term vacant'.

Cllr Parkinson responded by saying its current policy on the issue had almost halved the number of empty homes in the borough from 2,565 and 1,223 respectively.

He added: "The council’s housing priority continues to support the develop of new, modern housing, in the right locations to ensure the future housing needs of all our communities will be met."

Cllr Addison highlights the Lancashire Telegraph article about the compulsory purchase of the terraced house in Walsh Street, Blackburn, to give it a new lease of life in her letter.

She tells Cllr Parkinson: "The article states that Blackburn with Darwen’s Empty Homes team has been working hard for several years to bring such unfit houses back into use and that the number of empty, unfit homes has fallen from 3,643 to 2,838 over the past ten years."

Cllr Addison asks Cllr Parkinson: "As we have many such individual unfit houses in Hyndburn which are blighting otherwise decent neighbourhoods, I wondered whether any thought had been given to introducing a similar policy in Hyndburn?"

Cllr Parkinson said: "The evidence speaks for itself, Hyndburn Council takes problematic empty homes, especially those that cause blight to neighbourhoods, very seriously. It has reduced the number of empty homes, especially long term empty homes, by nearly half.

"Reducing empty homes remains a priority for the council, and we use a range of legal powers to deal with the worst cases.

"Working with our private sector partner, PlaceFirst, our empty homes project, brought over 100 empty homes back into use in the Woodnook area."

Immanuel ward's Cllr Addison said: "I still think Hyndburn Council needs a stronger policy like Blackburn with Darwen's to tackle individual, empty and unfit properties spoiling otherwise decent streets."