Hugh Bayley asks the Liberal Democrat council to support action to bring into use empty homes in York (Letters, October 1).
We are happy to do so, and have announced plans to extend taxation on empty - and second - homes in the city.
We look forward to receiving details from Hugh Bayley of any new legislation which would enable us to do more.
We should be delighted if this included the right of the council to buy homes on the open market to ease York's housing shortage - a power hitherto denied to the council by the present Labour Government.
We also note that one of the issues we inherited from the previous Labour council administration was an ineffective policy of bringing unused space - including that above some shop units - into residential use.
Coun Sue Sunderland,
Executive Member for Housing,
Updated: 12:06 Friday, October 24, 2003
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