Rennie urges National Trust to hand over Culross empty properties to local housing association

3.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th Sep 2009

The National Trust for Scotland should hand over its empty properties at Culross to a housing association according to MP Willie Rennie, who believes that the National Trust is exacerbating the housing crisis in West Fife.

The National Trust of Scotland has had four empty properties in the village for over two years.

The National Trust had examined the possibility of leasing out the properties as holiday homes, however, two years on Mr Rennie is now calling for the properties to be handed over to a housing association to manage.

Commenting Mr Rennie said:

"There is a huge demand for housing in Fife, particularly in West Fife where every week at my local surgery I see how desperate people are for affordable housing.

"It's incredibly frustrating to know that there are properties available- which could be used for affordable housing-but which the National Trust are continue to let collect dust.

"I initially contacted the National Trust about the empty properties in Culross nearly two years ago. In that time, hundreds more Fifers have struggled to find affordable housing.

"Enough is enough. It's time for a housing association to take over these empty properties and turn them into affordable housing for the people who really need them."