A renewed bid to bring more than 800 vacant Perth and Kinross buildings back into use has been launched with the introduction of a free property matchmaking service.
The scheme aims to link buyers and those looking for an investment or renovation opportunity with people wanting to sell empty properties.
In Perth city centre alone there are around 100 vacant flats above shop premises and business owners are being encouraged to work with the council to find viable solutions.
The last 12 months have seen the local authority adopt various strategies to tackle the issue, including the appointment of a vacant property guru and the creation of a scheme of assistance, a flatmates scheme and a vacant properties initiative.
Despite the action, it has come under fire for failing to tackle the “damaging” number of vacant commercial and public properties in the region. They include a number of prominent buildings such as the Strathearn and Drummond Arms hotels in Crieff and the Kinross Town Hall which are increasingly seen as eyesores.
The local authority has nonetheless defended its efforts and the enterprise and infrastructure convener, councillor John Kellas, believes the new “dating agency” will have a big impact.
“Identifying owners is often the first step for councils in bringing empty properties back into use,” he said.
“I hope that the Matchmaker Scheme will encourage owners to come forward to seek help from our vacant property development officer.
“There are currently 895 empty residential properties across Perth and Kinross and there are many reasons why they may be left empty. Owners can be left the property in a relative’s will and for family reasons they may not wish to sell or the property may have been purchased as an investment by an owner who no longer has the finances or time to renovate it for sale.”
Companies or individuals who are interested in buying empty properties, which often may need renovation or improvement, can register with the scheme and indicate what sort of properties they would be interested in.
If a match is found with empty properties on the database, their details are passed to the owner of the empty home.
Mr Kellas added: “The scheme has been likened to a ‘dating agency’ for empty properties. There is demand for empty properties from developers and other interested buyers and an empty property needing repair can give people on a lower budget the opportunity to buy at a more affordable price.”
The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership’s empty homes coordinator, Kristen Hubert, added: “It’s all about getting people talking to each other as this is often when solutions to help bring empty homes back into use can be found that weren’t immediately apparent.”