Public meeting called to address issue of empty properties in Wrexham

A public meeting is being held in Wrexham next month to explore ways for communities to tackle the blight of empty properties.

The meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, May 23rd at 7pm at the Lager Club, has been organised by councillor Marc Jones, who represents the Grosvenor ward, in the centre of Wrexham.

Councillor Jones said: “There are hundreds of empty houses and other buildings lying idle in Wrexham borough. They’re privately owned in the main and, for one reason or another, many have been empty for many years. They become eyesores and a blight on our community.

“What makes things worse is that we have a growing waiting list for houses – up from 2000 to 4000 in the past three years – and I want these empty properties to help meet that demand.”

Frustrating

The Plaid Cymru councillor added: “For the past year I’ve been trying to work with the council to be more pro-active on empty homes. I recognise it’s a slow and often frustrating process trying to deal with landlords who sometimes don’t live locally or want to cooperate.

“But communities such as Rhosddu can’t wait forever. That’s why I’m keen to look at alternatives and learn from other areas that are making a difference.

“One community in Grimsby took matters into their own hands when derelict houses became a problem and formed a community enterprise to take on and renovate housing to bring them back into use.

“I’ve also been working with Cwmpas, the Wales Cooperative Centre, which is keen to develop similar schemes in Welsh communities.

“Community-led housing is becoming a real option for areas that want to tackle the issue of empty properties. The public meeting in the Lager Club at 7pm on Tuesday, May 23rd will hear from people with expertise in this field.

“Anyone with an interest in communities tackling empty properties and how we can access funding that is available for such work is welcome to attend and contribute. We’re also involving skilled workers in the construction sector and see community-led building as a way to develop and pass on building skills.”

The meeting is open to everyone and there will be an opportunity to ask questions and discuss ideas.