Published: Sunday, 14th March, 2010 9:00am

Landlords face losing slum homes

OWNERS of derelict buildings in Slough could be forced to sell their property to the council.

In a bid to tackle the increasing housing shortage in the borough, councillors agreed at a cabinet meeting to reintroduce a compulsory purchase policy against homeowners who attract squatters and anti-social behaviour by allowing their properties to stand empty.

The move would mean that any of the 157 long term vacant properties in Slough could be purchased by the council and transformed into family homes if the offending landlords fail to respond to the council's demands of keeping the sites free from statutory nuisance or breaches of public health legislation.

The council estimates that this could result in five to ten family homes becoming available in the next five years.

Commissioner for neighbourhoods and renewal, Cllr James Swindlehurst, said: "With around 6,000 people on our housing waiting list, we cannot afford to have properties standing vacant.

"In a town with little developable land, these properties also present opportunities for new homes, and reduce our need for green field sites.

"It also only takes one long term vacant property on a street to become derelict to make the whole neighbourhood look unsightly, and with our blitz on neighbourhood enhancements we don't want a few vacant properties to let the town down.

"This policy will only affect long term vacant properties, and we will work with the owners to ensure there is a workable solution, and endeavour to involve them at every stage of the process."

The last compulsory purchase policy expired in 2008 and cabinet members decided to renew it at the meeting held at Slough Town Hall on Monday.