HUNDREDS of houses and flats are standing empty in Swindon while the council has more than 6,000 applications for accommodation.

Many of the home-hunters have partners and families, including small children, so the real number of people who are desperate for a place to live in Swindon probably runs into five figures.

Now a meeting has been arranged between council officers and anyone connected with the private letting sector.

This could lead to hundreds of homes that are lying dormant going back on the market within months.

"At the moment we're only guessing at the scale of the problem, which I'm sure is just the tip of the iceberg," said Coun Andy Albinson (Con, Dorcan), Swindon Council's lead member for housing.

"That is why we're taking this initiative forging a partnership with private landlords to make more accommodation available."

There are believed to be at least 300 flats and houses sitting idle in Swindon.

"There are many reasons for this," said Coun Albinson.

"Maybe the property is damp and the previous tenants refused to pay for repairs. Perhaps a house is cold and the heating is antiquated.

"If the landlord owns scores of properties, he's tempted to push the ones aside that need work on them to make them an attractive proposition to families looking for a home.

"We don't have the answers and that's why we're trying to tease out the reasons for so many properties standing empty.

"We're going to stress we need every single house that could be made available. It will also be a chance for networking."

Council officers will explain what grants are available to help landlords renovating homes.

The 6,000-strong council waiting-list could be reduced by 20 per cent by this initiative alone, Coun Albinson believed. "We have to get away from seeing the homes market as two-sided private and public," he said.

"We all have to be on the same side."

"By raising standards and encouraging the private sector, we can improve both reputations.

"In a high-demand area, such as Swindon, increased housing will also assist local employers, especially when many jobs are on a temporary or fixed-term basis."

The council's housing and homelessness department already works with many private landlords.

More than 400 privately-owned properties are currently providing homes for families on the borough's waiting-list through arrangements with the council.

The joint meeting will take place at the Civic Office, Euclid Street, Swindon on Thursday, January 22 at 1.30pm.