A call for action on empty homes

This initiative encourages people to report houses which are empty to their local authority with a view to getting them back into occupation. I can find no mention of this initiative on Rother or Wealden District Councils' websites.

Also at this time the inquiry into the compulsory purchases of land and property for the proposed link road continues. This is the nearest we will get to a public enquiry into this road building scheme which it is now estimated will cost double that forecast at the time of the flawed public consultation which took place in 2001.

Many are of the view that the proposed link road is merely an excuse for development in North Bexhill despite opposition on environmental grounds. There are also no real answers to the question, among many others being asked, as to where the through traffic will go when it gets to The Ridge and Baldslow or indeed in the opposite direction how will Little Common and Barnhorn Road cope with increased traffic.

It appears to me that the development in Bexhill is being relied on to bring economic prosperity to Bexhill and Hastings. This however, if and when it happens is for a considerable time in the future. The property market is still very slow and talk of a recovery premature. Last week's Council of Mortgage Lenders figures show lending massively down on last year despite a month-on-month rise. Although there is some increase in lending, it is still almost a third down on this time last year. There is clearly a lot of nervousness from lenders and borrowers.

If this is what lending figures are like when interest rates are low,there will be real concerns aboutnext year when inflation and interest rates are likely to rise. This will not encourage further building of new houses. In the meantime therefore there is a need to implement available measures to bring existing housing stock back into full use.