PROPERTIES left empty for a long period of time have been branded an “eyesore” and a “blight on the community” by a local councillor.

In a time when the demand for more housing around the country has becoming such a hot topic, Norden ward councillor, Cllr Laura James, said there is not enough being done in Basingstoke and Deane to put use to empty properties in the borough.

Figures shown to The Gazette by Cllr James show that the number of dwellings empty for more than two years in the borough has gone up year-on-year since 2014, when there were 200 unoccupied but 273 as of June 14, 2017.

Cllr James said: “We have two particular properties in Norden, one for two years and a second for 18 months as an example. They are absolute eyesores and are really blighting our community.

“People shouldn’t have to feel bad about where they live and have confidence in their community. It is not fair to people to live next to something that looks horrendous.”

Cllr James believes that if Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council put more into doing something about these empty homes, it could make a real difference to the need for new homes in the borough.

She added: “The reality is we have about 4,000 people on the housing register and these empty houses could help with that situation.

“What is concerning is that empty homes do not feature in the Homeless and Housing Strategy, not one mention – it has been airbrushed out.

“There are now no targets to bring empty homes back into use. Under the old strategy there was. We have not had a dedicated empty homes officer, the post being cut, since 2015.”

The borough council said that bringing empty homes back into use is a complex process which involves partnerships with different officers to tackle the problem.

Deputy leader and cabinet member for housing Cllr Terri Reid said: “I understand the frustration when a property sits empty for a long time but often the process is out of our hands. If a property is in probate, there’s a family dispute or the person owning the property is in prison, for example, there is a very limited role the council can take until these situations are resolved.”