Finally, Durham Council has listened on something and agreed to my requests to scrap the unjust 50% council tax discount for people to leave houses empty.

Banks, bankers, big property companies and landlords often living in other parts of the country or overseas have been allowed to leave properties empty and get a discount for doing so. From April this will stop. A local Lib Dem victory for common sense.  It will bring in an extra £2.1m for the council and I hope they will look at using at least some of the money to help get empty properties into use. Possible solutions could include giving first time buyers renovation loans to help them get these properties up to scratch or even giving loans to landlords to renovate where they guarantee to rent out the properties. It could also be used to help force properties to be brought back into use.

The government will now pay councils an extra six years council tax for every empty home they bring back into use, so there is no excuse for Durham Council. 5200 empty properties were getting the 50% tax cut while the rest of us struggle to pay full council tax.