UNOCCUPIED homes in Horrabridge are causing concern in West Devon as the demand for houses in the borough increases to more than 1,000.

Around half of the 80 properties built for military personnel in the village have become vacant over the past few years as they have been deemed surplus to demand.

Horrabridge School governor and borough councillor Jane Waterhouse said the absence of occupancy was having an effect on the number of children at the school and in the village.

Eighteen of the homes on the MoD estate have currently been roped off because of problems associated with mine workings in the village.

'The occupancy rate has decreased over the past four or five years but more have become empty recently because of the work being done on the detection and workings of the mine shaft period in Horrabridge,' she said.

'What we really need to know is what is being done to rectify the problem created by the early mine workings and what the timescale would be to see these homes reoccupied.'

West Devon Borough Council is in the process of submitting a funding bid to pay for an investigation into the old mine workings in Horrabridge which will determine which homes in the village are at risk. The work will provide the information needed to carry out land preservation work.

Mrs Waterhouse said there was a time when the school had at least 40 children from the MoD properties: 'I would like to see those properties made available for ownership by West Devon Homes or a suitable housing association so they could become available to local families,' she said.

Environmental services officer Dave Banks said the release of the houses for sale on the open market was an issue between the MoD and owners Annington Homes, who lease the properties to the ministry.

'Our investigation into the mine workings will help to facilitate that but it is not dependant on it,' he said. 'Our ultimate aim is to ensure economic viability of the village and put as many empty properties back into occupation as we can.'

At present, all the homes are under the control of the MoD, but a spokeswoman for the ministry said 18 would be returned to Annington Homes next March.

'They will be handed back in March and then it is up to Annington what they do with them,' she said. 'The rest of the houses are down to be released the following year.'

Annington Homes leased 56,000 properties across the country to the MoD in 1987 but the ministry decides as and when it gives them back.

'The properties will be reviewed next year when they have been returned to us,' said an Annington spokesman. 'We have been informed about the mine workings in that area and we will need to consider this before we take any decision about their future.

'Annington is in the business of selling houses and not sitting on them. When homes are returned to us we make sure they are in good condition, make improvements and then sell them on, and hopefully that it what will happen in this case.'

In West Devon there are 1,100 applicants on the housing register and levels of homelessness are rising. The borough council is helping to address this issue by making sure that at least 35 per cent of homes planned over the next ten years fall into the 'affordable housing' category.