THE Sunnyhurst area of Darwen has the highest rate of empty homes across the borough, council statistics show.

Figures compiled last year reveal Sunnyhurst had 339 empty houses which made up 11.4 per cent of the housing stock.

This is almost double the average empty housing rate for Darwen of 6.6 per cent.

Throughout the borough as a whole, the Queens Park area of Blackburn had the next highest percentage of empty homes at 9.4 per cent and the lowest figure was 2.6 per cent in Fernhurst.

The borough average is 5.5 per cent and the average rate for England is 3.1 per cent.

Sunnyhurst councillor Dave Hollings said the statistics were a result of clearance areas which were no longer there.

He said: “If the figures were compiled last year then they would show all the empty housing in the Redearth Road clearance area, Queen Street and Hindle Street, and also Woodvale Flats, which are no longer there.

“The rate of empty housing is not that high generally and I think that if the same survey was carried out now, the figure for Sunnyhurst would be in line with the average.”