A NEW council role will be created in the Borders to help solve the costly problem of vacant properties in the region.

Members of Scottish Borders Council’s (SBC) executive committee approved the use of £40,000 to fund an empty homes officer on Tuesday (April 20).

According to SBC papers, there are more than 1,500 ‘long term’ empty properties across the Borders, with council leader Shona Haslam describing the introduction of the new role as “incredibly important”.

There are 22 local authorities in Scotland that have an empty homes officer, the papers state.

Mark Rowley, Conservative representative for Mid Berwickshire, said: “I was embarrassed we were one of the councils which didn’t have this position.

“That absolutely has to change.”

READ MORE: Borders considers hiring 'empty homes officer' to bring end to vacant properties

Mr Rowley added that addressing the problem of empty homes will be a “key part of town centre regeneration”.

The funding will allow an empty homes officer to operate in the Borders for two years, with the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership also contributing £40,000 towards the position.

After 24 months a review of the position will be carried out, according to SBC’s housing strategy officer Donna Bogdanovic.

Galashiels councillor Euan Jardine, of the Conservatives, said: “If you go up Hall Street then you’re going up Kirkbrae and you look up to the right there’s all these deserted flats.”

In response to Mr Jardine’s query about whether these properties would be looked at, Ms Bogdanovic said: “We’ve done a lot of work with Kirkbrae.”

She added that there are sometimes “complex” issues why homes are empty, with the possibility of looking at loans “to give people a nudge” to address their properties.