Empty homes 'are a waste'

SCOTLAND'S 25,000 empty homes are a "disgraceful waste", a housing summit in Edinburgh has heard.

The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership estimates the cost of refurbishing an empty home is between 6000 and 25,000, compared with the average cost of a new-build home in Scotland, at 100,000.

It says empty homes can be a vital source of housing for communities suffering from chronic shortages of affordable housing stock.