BUY a beautiful house for £1 – but there’s a catch...

You’ll have to be a first-time buyer, commit to living in it for five-10 years and be willing to completely renovate the currently derelict property.

Along with other ideas, houses for £1 is my plan to fast-track improvements in the centre of Middlesbrough and, in particular, improve the shocking state of Gresham.

If I become mayor of Middlesbrough I want to make the very centre of town better. Much better. That means five things:

1. New people living in town
2. Ending the shocking sight of boarded up houses
3. Boosting trade for local shops and restaurants
4. More people choosing to locate their business in town
5. A general feel of vibrancy and increased energy

Getting more people to live in town will be great for all of those points and, importantly, it would boost the council’s coffers – allowing it to provide better social care and services.

Seeing it decay just doesn’t make any financial, social or moral sense.

The street houses of Gresham are intrinsically beautiful but social problems, bad management and recession have caused them to become blighted.

With lots of hard work, some bravery and a little bit of money the streets of Gresham can become amazing places to live.

Andy Preston, Prospective independent Middlesbrough mayoral candidate