A COUNCIL’S plans to buy long-term empty homes in an effort to boost regeneration have taken a major step forward.

Durham County Council chiefs want to spend around £4.4m buying up to 120 houses in Easington Colliery, Eldon Lane, Coundon Grange, Coundon, Dean Bank, Chilton, Craghead and South Moor.

Half the cash has been promised by the Homes and Communities Agency.

The homes, which must have been empty for more than six months, would be leased to housing providers who would renovate them and rent them out, giving some of the rent back to the council.

Today (Wednesday, June 6), the council’s cabinet gave its support to the Empty Homes Cluster Programme and gave authority to buy houses to a team of two officers and two cabinet members.

Ian Thompson, the corporate director for regeneration and economic development, said homes standing empty was an issue across the county and the scheme was a drop in the ocean but the most deprived areas would be targeted.

Liberal Democrat councillor Mark Wilkes said there were almost 10,000 empty homes across County Durham, in areas in desperate need of regeneration.

He asked the cabinet for a promise that, if more Government funding became available, it would consider expanding the project.

Coun Eddie Tomlinson, the cabinet member for housing and rural issues, said should more money become available, the council would certainly consider the possibility.