The number of empty homes in Shrewsbury is at a three-year high with 1,401 properties standing vacant around the borough, the Chronicle can exclusively reveal.
Figures reveal that back in 2006 there were 1,298 empty homes including long-term empty properties, second homes and empty properties exempt from council tax. But this figure has now increased by 103 as of October this year.
But despite there being more than 1,000 empty homes Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council confirmed there are 2,025 homes with outstanding planning permission – another figure which has rocketed from 1,406 three years ago.
The figure includes incompleted buildings on sites under construction and sites on which development has not yet started.
SABC has a target of 35 per cent of homes being affordable on sites of 15 or more homes in urban areas or sites of three or more homes in rural areas.
So far 26 new affordable homes have been built as of 2007-2008. The authority has outstanding permission for a further 327.
A statement from SABC explains why this target has not been met: “This is not yet being achieved, in terms of buildings constructed, due to the time lag between granting planning permission and completing the build.”
Last month the Chronicle revealed borough council plans to unlock £24 million of funding to kickstart developments across the town, which is due to be discussed by Shropshire Council’s implementation executive.
Shirley Harper, housing options manager for SABC, said: “At present we have 29 accepted cases awaiting re-housing under homeless legislation and 28 cases under offer of accommodation by various landlords.”
The number of homes standing empty has been criticised by John Woodyatt, from the Isaiah 58 Project, which helps people struggling with housing needs.
Mr Woodyatt said: “The council was given the right to buy any homes that had been empty for over a year for affordable housing five or six years ago.
“SABC make a big thing of something when there’s pressure on them, then forget it.
“It’s typical of the borough council and it’s a disgraceful figure. We have hundreds of families waiting for housing. If we had these homes together with the probation service and drug treatment centres we could fill them.”
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