One of the initiatives brought in by the Liberal Democrat city council is to provide free insulation for homes across the city.  Not only does this help households cut their fuel bills, but it is also one step on the road to making Sheffield a more sustainable city with fewer carbon emissions.

To manage the cost of the scheme, it is being introduced gradually across the city with the first areas including Walkley, Manor, Arbourthorne, Hillsborough and Gleadless Valley.  However, although the scheme is not yet available for all in Nether Edge, some residents can take advantage of it straight away.

The households that are already included are those where one of the residents is aged 70 or over; or where someone is in receipt of one of these benefits:

• Council tax benefit (not including single person reduction)
• Housing benefit
• Income support
• Income based jobseekers allowance
• Attendance allowance
• Disability living allowance
• Disablement pension (must include a constant attendance allowance)
• Child tax credit (when household income is £16,040 or less)
• Working tax credit (when household income is £16,040 or less)
• State pension credit
• War disablement pension (must include a mobility supplement or a constant attendance allowance)
• Income-related employment and support allowance

You can read more about it here on the Sheffield Liberal Democrats website or by calling Freephone 0800 915 9096 (8am - 6pm Monday to Friday) or by emailing insulation@sheffield.gov.uk

Last week, the Liberal Democrats nationally made a pledge to bring a quarter of a million empty homes back into use.  This would make sure there were more homes available for those who need them and would also create 65,000 skilled jobs.  This comes at the same time as Sheffield’s Liberal Democrat council is planning to build the city’s first new council houses in decades.

Although our city has seen a lot of new building in recent years, it hasn’t necessarily provided housing that’s affordable for those on lower incomes.  It also isn’t sustainable to simply abandon some properties that could be brought back in to use, and derelict buildings inevitably cause some problems for the neighbours.  One such property is 99 Machon Bank, which could be a lovely house but has now been abandoned for some years.  The council’s private sector housing team are currently trying to work with the owner to get it brought back in to use voluntarily, but if this fails then the council is able to take enforcement action against the owners.  Do let me know if you’re aware of any other similarly derelict empty properties in Nether Edge ward.

You can find out more about the party’s national empty homes pledge by watching this video from Party Leader Nick Clegg, Lib Dem Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable MP and the Lib Dem Shadow Housing Minister Sarah Teather MP.  The pledge has also received backing from the National Housing Federation.