Buildings have to be put to use (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Buildings have to be put to use

9:10am Friday 13th January 2012 in Our View By Telegraph & Argus

The concerns that have been raised about a derelict house in Bradford Moor being used for anti-social activities once again highlight the need for empty properties to be brought back into use whenever possible.

Residents nearby say young people are descending on the disused building every night for noisy parties which are making their lives a misery.

Their councillor, Mohammed Shafiq, is quite rightly calling for the Council to take action against the landlord or consider a compulsory purchase order.

This is an issue this paper has highlighted many times through our Save Our Green Spaces campaign. There are scores of similar derelict and disused houses as well as shops, pubs, schools and other properties that are a blight on the district.

And it is beyond belief that so many housing schemes are being planned on green space when the city has an abundance of brownfield areas that can be developed.

These empty properties are not simply lying harmlessly dormant. They are attracting decay and dereliction, they damage the surrounding area, and they are a magnet to all manner of trouble makers.

If the owners are unwilling or unable to take action to resolve issues in cases like this, the Council has to act.

We are supposedly facing an unprecedented housing demand in this district, so why are so many properties allowed to rot like this?

Using these buildings to meet this demand has a twofold benefit. It will help resolve anti-social issues blighting the lives of those living nearby. And it will reduce the pressure for housing that is constantly increasing on the precious green space around the district.