Ms Jude Sherry:

I thank the Deputy for that very important question. When we talk about dereliction and long-term vacancy it is not just about the owner or about using the spaces, it is actually about the impact it has on the wider community. Unfortunately today it has been disappointing to hear more about the owners of properties and the respect maybe given to them over that given to everyone else in the community, which is quite disheartening. As a citizen who lives on a street with multiple derelict properties, and as Deputy Gould pointed out, I also live in the same area, Blackpool, and there is dereliction anywhere we walk in the area, nearly every street in this community has dereliction. We only have to speak to our neighbour to realise the impacts it had, whether it is risk of rats, fires or collapsing buildings. The illegal dumping that happens around dereliction is disgusting. Much research shows there are far wider impacts and detrimental impacts on our physical and mental health from dereliction. Research from the Scottish Land Commission identifies four main areas of impacts which are impacts on our mental and physical health, the obvious environmental pollutants and also the wider economic impacts from opportunity loss from loss of footfall and loss of investment confidence. However, for us it is the community impacts, the loss of heritage, the community's reputation and the self-confidence in the area. That is research that has shown the wider effects, that actually compared two areas with the same socio-economic backgrounds and if one area has high levels of vacancy and dereliction it has higher physical health problems and lower life expectancy. It actually affects wider areas besides just a lack of use of spaces.