The Government has been urged by Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester Bob Russell to take action to get millions of empty houses around the country brought back into residential use in order to reduce the pressure on building new homes in the countryside.

Bob Russell made his point in the House of Commons this afternoon, on the first day that Parliament returned after the Summer Recess, during Questions to the Department of Communities and Local Government.

Afterwards Bob Russell said: “In Colchester, if we could get every house in the town lived in again there would be less need to build on greenfield sites such as fields to the west of Mile End.

“I am not sure what the current figure is, but from what has been said in the past I believe there are at least 2,000 empty dwellings in Colchester.”

He added: “We have a housing crisis, but not necessarily a shortage of houses. It is just that, as a nation, we have not done enough to ensure that empty houses are lived in again.”