There are more empty and derelict houses in Barnsley than almost anywhere in the country and now the council is getting £815,600 from the government to tackle the problem.
Communities minister Don Foster announced that towns across England will benefit from a cash injection to help bring back into use empty and derelict homes and commercial properties.
The money will be spent on 22 empty homes in the borough and the council has been awarded £335,000 plus an additional £480,687 after the town was identified as having an acute number of empty houses.
The funding will be spent on refurbishment where empty properties have led to problems such as squatting, rat infestation and falling house prices, driving remaining residents away.
Council leader Sir Steve Houghton said the money would be used on properties in the Dearne area which are owned privately.
"We're working with landlords to improve some of these houses to bring them back into use and will also put a management scheme in place to make sure that when we have spent the money, the houses are looked after."
Don Foster has also called on councils to sign up to TV presenter and restoration expert George Clarke’s ten point review for housing regeneration areas.
The review supports ‘sweat equity schemes’, whereby people buy empty properties for a nominal price in exchange for an undertaking to refurbish them.
The review also backs the government’s stance that demolition of properties should only be a last resort.
