Clackmannanshire and Dunblane MSP Keith Brown has welcomed a new £4 million fund that will help bring abandoned homes and empty high street spaces back to life.

The Scottish Government’s ‘Town Centre Empty Fund’ will help to revive empty homes and convert unused commercial spaces into new affordable homes.

The funding will be administered by Scottish Empty Homes Partnership and is available to registered social landlords and developers across Clackmannanshire and Stirling, and throughout Scotland.

Since 2010, the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership has brought over 900 homes back into use and encouraged 17 of Scotland’s 32 authorities to appoint empty homes officers.

Details on how to apply for funding can be found here: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/supply-demand/emptyhomes The deadline for applications is 21 August 2015.

Mr Brown said: “I would encourage local registered social landlords and developers to apply for funding so that we can begin to see empty homes being filled with those who need them and commercial spaces can be revamped for public use.

“Transforming more unused spaces into comfortable homes will help provide more affordable housing in Scotland. There are currently an estimated 27,000 long-term private empty homes and it makes sense to put these properties to good use.”