ONE hundred thousand pounds has been distributed by Scottish Borders Council in a bid to tackle the blight of empty homes, it has emerged.

Latest statistics reveal that the Borders has the fifth highest level of empty properties in Scotland, with 6.8 per cent of its dwellings currently unoccupied.

A £500,000 fund was set up in December 2021 to provide grants of up to £25k to enable the owners of empty homes to bring them back into use, principally as affordable housing.

The grants are available to owners of properties that have been registered as empty for at least one year.

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Funding is available to owners who wish to live in the properties or to those who wish to rent them out.

Since the SBC Empty Homes Grant Scheme was officially launched on September 15 last year, four £25k grants have been approved, three to property owners in Eyemouth and one in Hawick, with several other applications currently under review.

Members of the council’s Executive Committee will consider a report on the grant scheme when they meet on Tuesday (February 14).