Wiltshire Council leader: Army homes could house refugees

Richard Clewer said Wiltshire Council wants to do as much as it can to help Afghan refugees

The leader of Wiltshire Council has said he was astounded to learn that there are some 1,350 empty Ministry of Defence (MoD) homes in the county.

Richard Clewer is calling for some of the properties to be used as temporary housing for Afghan refugees.

But he said the MoD "have not been terribly easy to talk to about this" and he was frustrated by the delays.

The MoD said a number of surplus properties are being leased to local authorities to house Afghan families.

Mr Clewer said a check of council tax records had revealed the number of empty properties.

Thousands of Afghans have been evacuated following the withdrawal of UK and US troops

"It came as a huge shock to me and it makes me very angry," he said.

"It makes me very much question why we're not doing something.

"We've been trying to engage with the MoD, which rents the homes, whether there are people in there or not.

"You've got properties where the rent is already being paid by a government department but we're really not making much headway," he added.

"Even setting aside the Afghan issue, to find out there are over 1,300 empty properties in Wiltshire while we are looking at the need to build further housing and have a waiting list, it really is deeply frustrating."

'Behind the wire'

Devizes MP Danny Kruger has backed the plans and says he has raised the issue with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

"They have helped us and we have to help them," he said.

The MoD said a number of the empty homes in Wiltshire were 'behind the wire' on bases and were needed for military families but work was ongoing to identify properties suitable for refugees.

"We have identified a number of surplus properties that are being leased to Local Authorities to house Afghan families around the UK," a spokesperson said.

"We remain committed to supporting those who have supported us, and our commitment to those who are eligible for relocation is not time limited and will endure."