11:23am Thursday 5th January 2006
By Alex Lewis
FORMER MP Kerry Pollard is calling for empty houses and shops in London Road to be offered to homeless families by the district council under new powers.
Supermarket giant Tesco has owned about 12 houses and five shops in London and Alma Road for two years, but has not submitted a planning application or even indicated what its proposals are.
Mr Pollard said: "London Road is a major route into St Albans and it is a disgrace, with empty boarded up homes and shops. It could be like this for years"I have asked St Albans District Council to use its new powers in the recent Housing Act to take possession of these derelict homes, do them up and then offer them to homeless families.
"The Act gives specific powers to councils to take possession of empty homes then refurbish them and finally let them to people in need.
"The rent paid by the newly-housed families can then be used to pay for the cost of refurbishment before any money is given to the owner of the houses."It was at my suggestion that the Housing Act included this provision we should use it. Even if the homes were only available for five years it would provide useful homes.
"I know that locally based housing associations have unspent capital allocations that will be clawed back by the Treasury if not used. Why not use some of this money for these boarded-up homes?"
He said that even if a planning application for a supermarket was made tomorrow, it would be many years before building could start.
In his letter to council housing chief Karen Dragovic, Mr Pollard wrote the shops could be used by local charities such as the Bereavement Counselling Service which is looking for a home in the district.
He has asked Tesco to release the properties temporarily, but not had a positive response.
District councillor Una Dunleavy said: " That part of London Road is a complete eyesore let's use the houses and give some life back to that area."
A district council spokesman said: "There are two areas we are exploring. Under section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act we can make efforts to tidy up the appearance of the area but as the Housing Act does not become legislation until April we can't actually secure any of the houses until then. Councillor Robert Donald has also written to Verulam Properties a subsidiary of Tesco which owns the properties to request that action is taken to improve their appearance."
Tesco had not commented at the time of going to press.
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