Brighton and Hove City Council shares the concern raised by C Burchell ("Get cracking", Letters, November 6) that when a council home becomes vacant, it should be re-let to another tenant as soon as possible.

At the beginning of this year, a new lettings team was set up to streamline the process of filling a vacant property.

The council has also employed a new contractor to carry out any necessary works when a council property becomes empty. These steps have helped to speed up the process.

Unfortunately, even people with a high level of housing need sometimes turn down homes offered to them, which means properties sometimes remain empty for longer than we would wish.

Overall, there are less than two per cent of council properties standing empty in Brighton and Hove at any time, which is far fewer than many other local authorities.

But with such a high level of local housing need, the council isn't complacent. On the contrary, it is doing all it can to fill empty properties as soon as possible.

-Gary Thurston, Assistant Director (City Services), Environment and Housing, Brighton and Hove City Council