Councillor Martin Johns is asking South Northants Council to explain why a large council property in Towcester has been left empty and unused for the past five years. At a meeting next week Cllr Martin Johns will raise the matter with the council’s Conservative led administration.

Commenting Councillor Martin Johns said: “Despite spending £454,895 of public money on a building intended for those in housing need, the property is still empty five years on. There appears to have been difficulties with housing organisations that should be running the building but leaving it empty for five years is a disgrace.”

Liberal Democrat Councillor Chris Lofts commented: “Given the level of housing need, failing to use this property to help those in need reflects poorly on the Conservatives.”

Councillor Lofts added: “ It shows yet again that it’s been left to the Liberal Democrats to expose how the Tories are failing to get to grip with important issues in our town and district.”

Scott Collins, Parliamentary Spokesman for South Northamptonshire, commented “Its unbelievable that such a facility has stood empty for so long. To have spent half a million pounds on the facility and then moth ball it is a disgrace when there are people on the housing list who could have made use of the property or indeed the money now shown to have been wasted”