Madam,

Cllr Paul James’ concern that ‘dozens of properties’ may be left empty (‘Grant request to stop glut of empty buildings’, last week’s Cambrian News) comes at a time when we have 10 empty homes for every one homeless family. It is a very real and justified concern. Two possible solutions can be learnt from Scotland where councils have a Private Sector Leasing scheme which allows owners to rent out their properties to council tenants, the local authority becoming the lettings agent on behalf of the owner. Private rents are higher in Britain than any other Euro-pean Union country - 50 per cent more than in Germany and the Netherlands (National Housing Federation report June 2015). Therefore any control to private rents that can be gained through such a scheme is welcomed. Secondly Scottish councils can double the council tax on vacant dwellings as an incentive to increase the available housing stock. Currently the Bank of England is trying to dissuade banks from lending so much for buy to let mortgages as this is causing another potential property bubble similar to 2008. The council needs to spend time encouraging owners to see the potential win-win solution to their worries rather than shift the responsibility to the Assembly. Does the council have an empty homes officer for example?

Yours etc,

Dr Simon Morpeth,

Abercegir,

Machynlleth.