A Brighton home which sat empty for nearly 35 years is set to be brought back into use thanks to the intervention of town hall officials.

The property in Chester Terrace was last occupied in 1979 - when Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister, milk was 15p a pint and the nudist beach opened on Brighton beach.

But after years of neglect and complaints from neighbours, Brighton and Hove City Council looks set to step in and bring the property back into use.

It is now looking to enforce a compulsory purchase order (CPO) with the property handed over to a new owner within two months.

With more than 16,000 on the council’s housing waiting list, the news will come as welcome relief for those in need of new place to call home.

Councillor Bill Randall, chairman of the council’s housing committee, said: “In these cases we try every possible avenue before we resort to using a compulsory purchase order but unfortunately it has been necessary in this case.

“We have a duty to make sure that as many empty homes as possible are brought back into use in a city facing a housing crisis.”

A CPO was obtained for the building in the 1990s but never used.

After receiving new complaints from locals, officials applied to the Government for a fresh CPO for the site in June 2012.

However, due to delays, it has taken the local authority longer than expected to move forward with the order.

After being issued last week, owners Derek Burns and Christine Davies now have two months to act before the council takes control of the property and agree an independent valuation for sale.

It will then be sold, probably through auction.

A council spokesman actually using a CPO was rare as the owners usually either took action to improve its condition or resold the property before it had to intervene.

He added: “Under the terms of the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) we will always work with owners where we can, giving them the chance to return the property to use themselves, and Chester Terrace, long term and complex as it is, is no exception.

“Unfortunately additional delays have forced the council to move forward with the CPO.”