John Sleigh, Lib Dem candidate for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, is disappointed to reveal nearly 4,000 houses in Aberdeenshire are lying empty.

The figures are from a Liberal Democrat parliamentary question to the
Minister for Housing and Communities.

John Sleigh said:

“What a waste. We have 3,782 homes lying empty in the area.

“More and more people are on the council’s waiting list for a house … more than 7,000.

“There are also people living in cramped conditions as well as homeless
people.

“It is a similar story across Scotland with 70,000 houses lying empty. I am calling on the SNP government to bring these homes back into use.

“Not only would the most vulnerable get a roof over their head, but also renovation work would also stimulate the Scottish economy.

“It was the Lib Dems who amended the recent Housing Act that now requires local authorities to find out where empty houses are located. The absence of this information has previously been a barrier to encouraging local authorities and owners to bring their properties back into use.”