LAST week, we reported that greenfield sites around Worcester were being earmarked to accommodate the 10,000 new homes central government insists must be built to conform to Whitehall's growth targets. Although opposition to these plans has so far been slow to get off the ground, we should be under no illusion that protests will indeed gather pace once the implications start to sink in.

The Worcester News opposes the scale of these developments for a number of reasons, not least because we believe the quality of life enjoyed by people on the periphery of Worcester would be greatly affected if they go ahead. Today, another argument against this tide of bricks and mortar has surfaced - the scandal of perfectly good properties going to waste because no one's living in them.

In fact, there are 750 unoccupied houses in Worcester alone. They stand empty for any number of reasons, but if the city's total is anything to go by, then the tally for Worcestershire must be very great indeed. On a national scale, the final tally must be enormous, thus calling into question the need for so much countryside to be destroyed.

This newspaper supports the city council's strategy to bring these homes back into use. Apart from housing stock considerations, there is also environmental concerns to be taken into account, too. Empty buildings can be blighted in a variety of ways, bringing distress to neighbours. Yes, property owners have rights - but this must be balanced with the greater good.