4,400 empty houses should be brought back into use

5.48.37pm GMT Mon 18th Jan 2010

There are over 4,400 empty properties across the Canterbury City Council area which are no longer used as homes but can be brought back into use with some investment. Under Liberal Democrat proposals, people who own these homes will get a grant or a cheap loan to renovate them so they can be used: grants if the home is for social housing, loans for private use.

The plans form part of the economic stimulus package outlined as a core principle of the Liberal Democrat election manifesto. In the first year of the new Parliament, the party would redirect over £3.6bn of spending to create jobs and build up Britain's infrastructure. In the following years this money will be redirected to other Lib Dem spending priorities and reducing the structural deficit.

Guy Voizey, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman for Canterbury and Whitstable, said, "There is a clear need for more social and family housing in our area. This measure would help to provide it without any requirement for building on green field sites."