Empty homes get new lease of life

Empty homes are to be used to provide extra council housing in Newark and Sherwood.

The scheme was explained to Mr Andrew Stunell, the Parliamentary under-secretary of state at the department of communities and local government, when he visited Newark and Farndon on Tuesday.

He was accompanied by architect and television personality Mr George Clarke, who appears on Channel 4’s Restoration Man, and is advising the Government on the project.

They were seeing how Newark and Sherwood Homes planned to spend a £50,000 government grant to bring empty homes back into use.

The housing management company will buy empty properties and renovate them with the help of the grant before leasing them to tenants.

It is looking to buy four empty homes across the district.

The chairman of the board of Newark and Sherwood Homes, Mrs Ginette Hughes, said people often assumed empty homes, particularly in areas such as Hawtonville, were managed by them when they were privately owned.

She said: “Newark and Sherwood Homes doesn’t have empty properties and when a tenant moves out we usually have another one move in within 12 days.

“This project allows organisations like ours the opportunity to purchase these empty homes and bring them into our portfolio so we can rent them to people on our waiting list.”

Mr Stunell and Mr Clarke visited empty properties in the Newark area and saw some of the improvements made to homes on Hawtonville to make them more environmentally friendly.

They also met residents at Newark and Sherwood Tenant and Residents’ Association offices on Bailey Road.

Mr Stunell said: “It’s good to see there is real enthusiasm to tackle the job.

“There are about 700 empty homes in the district, which is not the greatest number, but we want to get them into use as soon as possible.

“I’m pleased the Government has been able to provide some of the funding to make things happen but when it comes down to it it’s about what people at a local level do to make things happen.

“You can sense there is real community support for this and a real willingness from people to make a difference.”

Mr Clarke said he was impressed by the installation of extra insulation and triple-glazed windows to make homes more energy efficient.

Mrs Kate Carter, of Staunton Road, Newark, has lived on Hawtonville for 27 years, 17 in her current home.

“A lot of people have been very pleased with all the improvements that have been taking place,” she said.

“Hawtonville is improving all the time.”

Mrs Carter said people were concerned when they saw empty homes.

“Newark and Sherwood Homes buying them is an excellent idea because there is a need for extra properties,” she said.

“When people see the empty homes they assume that because they are on the council estate they belong to the council but they don’t, and if they buy them up they can get people living in them.”