By Chris McCall

Copyright dailyrecord

Abandoned homes could be brought back into use more quickly under plans being considered by SNP ministers to help ease Scotland’s housing emergency. Flats or houses that have lain empty for prolonged periods of time can be subject to Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) from local authorities – but the process is complex and time-consuming. The SNP Government has now launched a consultation on proposals to modernise the law on compulsory purchase, to make it easier to improve land and buildings. Abandoned or long-term empty homes often deteriorate into public eyesores which make life miserable for residents of neighbouring properties. Ivan McKee , the Public Finance Secretary, visited a property in the Sandyhills neighbourhood of Glasgow today which was subject to a CPO and will soon be handed to a local housing association to let. It comes as the SNP Government comes under increasing pressure to ease the housing emergency gripping parts of the country. Official figures published this week found the number of households living in temporary homeless accommodation in Scotland has reached a record high. More than 10,000 children in Scotland are in temporary accommodation, which is a slight increase on last year’s total. There has also been an rise in rough sleeping. McKee said today the Government needed “every tool availavble” to tackle the housing emergency. “Compulsory purchase can make an important contribution to improving public spaces and regenerating communities,” he said. “We need every tool available to play its part in tackling the housing emergency – making it easier and simpler for councils and other public bodies to take ownership of derelict property will help. “We are consulting on changes that would streamline procedures, modernise compensation arrangements and promote better early engagement between authorities and the owners of land that is needed for important public projects. “This is a substantial package of measures, learning from changes that have been made elsewhere and following extensive engagement with the Practitioner Advisory Group and a wide variety of others with interest in compulsory purchase.” Roseanna Cunningham, a former SNP MSP and co-chair of the Compulsory Purchase Reform Practitioner Advisory Group, said: “We need every tool available to play its part in tackling the housing emergency – making it easier and simpler for councils and other public bodies to take ownership of derelict property will help. “We are consulting on changes that would streamline procedures, modernise compensation arrangements and promote better early engagement between authorities and the owners of land that is needed for important public projects.” To sign up to the Daily R ecord Politics newsletter, click here