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SHEPWAY OFFERS INTEREST FREE LOANS TO HOME OWNERS

Kent Council has launched the first major scheme aimed at tackling empty homes by offering interest free loans to their owners in Shepway and Dover.

Altogether the council has drawn up agreements with four district authorities to offer loans of up to £25,000 per property to bring them back into use.

The council has put aside £5 million to support the ‘no use empty’ scheme in Shepway, Dover, Swale and Thanet.

To be eligible for the scheme, homes must have been empty for more than six months and work must be completed and the home occupied by the end of March 2008.

There are around 9,000 empty homes in the four council areas.

Jonathan Ellis, chief executive of the Empty Homes Agency, said the scheme was the first project of this size in the country and should be replicated.

Kent Council is aiming to bring almost 400 homes back into use by the March deadline.

The £5 million pot could also be used by the councils to pay for enforcement action to bring empty homes back into use.