Govt needs to focus on empty homes

Posted: 02 May 2008 11:02:01 GMT

The government needs to look at bringing empty homes back into use if it is to meet its housing targets.

The government needs to look at bringing empty homes back into use if it is to meet its housing targets.

That is according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), which said that the government is not on target so far.

In addition, it forecast that the downturn in the housing market will only make things worse.

Brian Berry, director of external affairs at the FMB, said that the government should focus some of its attention on the UK's empty housing stock.

"We're not on course to build three million new homes [by 2020] and what the government should be thinking about is looking at empty homes in this country," he commented.

"We've got about 700,000 empty homes in England [and we need to] look at more creative ways to bring redundant buildings back into use because that is more sustainable than creating sustainable communities.

"We are not on target to build 240,000 new homes every year," added Mr Berry.

© Houseladder Ltd