During Question time in the Scottish Parliament Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser called on the Scottish Government to encourage local authorities to be more flexible in their approach towards turning abandoned shops into residential homes.
Murdo highlighted the issue of empty homes on Scotland’s High streets to the Minister for Housing, Margaret Burgess, and called on the Scottish Government to improve their current initiatives.
There around 23,000 empty private homes in Scotland, many of which are situated in city centre locations. In Perth and Kinross, Fife, Stirling and Clackmannanshire nearly 20,000 people are on Council House waiting lists.
Commenting Murdo Fraser MSP said;
“There is a real shortage of affordable homes for people in Perth and Kinross, Fife, Stirling and Clackmannanshire.
“Although I welcome the work of the Town Centre Housing Fund there are nearly 20,000 people seeking council houses in Mid-Scotland and Fife and the fund will only provide 82 new units throughout the whole of Scotland.
“It is more economical to return empty homes into use rather than building from scratch, and the Scottish Government must do better to recognise these opportunities in Perth and Kinross, Fife, Stirling and Clackmannanshire.
“The Scottish Government has indicated that they are looking at the potential of disused retail units and I would ask them to encourage Local authorities to be flexible and allow for an easier conversion of shop units into housing.”