A CAMPAIGN to bring empty homes in Rossendale back into use has been hailed a success by town hall bosses.

In a single exercise in Haslingden, housing officials managed to bring more than 30 properties up-to-date, after sending out warning letters to landlords.

Councillors sitting on the policy overview and scrutiny committee are now being asked to consider rolling out the scheme to Rawtenstall, Bacup and Waterfoot.

Letters were sent out to 109 target properties in the Haslingden area, back in the summer of 2009, as part of the initiative.

The approach led to 31 householders agreeing to renovate their properties, which was equal to the borough’s target for reviving empty homes for 2009-10. In 2008, the number of empty properties in Rossendale was 1600.

Regeneration head Steve Jackson said: “It is proposed that the pilot project be further developed and then rolled out across Rossendale as one of the tools to be used with the emerging vacant property strategy.”

The authority had enlisted Great Places housing group as a partner for the project, with a view to allowing the organisation to refurbish abandoned homes, subject to securing government housing grants.

Landlord had to agree to selling the empty houses but only four properties in Haslingden, out of 16 which had expressed an interest, qualified for grants.

The council has a range of options for bringing empty homes back into use, ranging from compulsory purchase orders to enforced sales and management orders.

Mr Jackson added: “Properties will be scored according to factors including length of vacancy and condition, to enable appropriate action and advice to be targeted.”