Nearly 600 homes stand idle in Rother

Now Rother council's improvement and resources sub-committee is calling for action to reduce what is seen as a wasted resource that could provide accommodation for local people.

Last Wednesday's committee meeting received a report from director of services Tony Leonard on the authority's empty homes action plan and strategy.

Mr Leonard recommended that the committee ask the council's cabinet to approve the strategy for consultation.

He set out three options for tackling the empty homes situation:

*Employ a full-time officer at a cost of 33,307 a year on an 18-month fixed-term contract to undertake the first part of research, preparation and planning needed for the project

*Employ a part-time officer to undertake the work at a cost of 16,950 a year for three years

*Enter a service level agreement with Brighton and Hove Council for it to undertake the work at an annual cost of 10,000

*Recommend the cabinet to take no further action on empty homes

The committee resolved to ask the cabinet to agree the Brighton and Hove option and to meet the 10,000 cost from the council's medium-term financial strategy.

Members felt that empty homes were a wasted resource and that while owners may leave homes vacant for a number of reasons, Rother should be able to offer advice and help to owners to return the buildings to occupation.