£250m North Lanarkshire housing investment planned

The investment, announced as part of the local authority’s budget agreement, will also see an expansion of the new house building programme.

The ambitious budget strategy, will allow for a £57.3m investment in housing stock during the next financial year through the mainstream capital programme and an increase capital investment by £20.5m to £257m over the next five years.

It will also enhance the council’s empty homes purchase scheme, which brings empty homes back into use.

The investment is part of an overall budget which will see council house rents rise by an average of three per cent, £1.73 a week.

The measures will maintain North Lanarkshire rents substantially below the Scottish average, the third lowest in Scotland. The council rents are also significantly lower than those charged by other local housing providers.

While still retaining low, affordable rent levels, the council is delivering a substantial package of service improvements totalling over £4m.

Councillor Sam Love, convener of housing and social work services, said: “Our housing budget supports our vision to provide affordable, good quality homes within safe and sustainable communities for the people of North Lanarkshire.

“In allocating money to fund service improvements we’ve consistently listened and acted on the views of our tenants. Through consultation, tenants have told us they want homes improved and new council homes provided. This budget reaffirms our commitment to putting tenant priorities at the heart of our service.

“This budget not only allows us to maintain investment in our existing stock of over 36,000 homes, but also enhances our capital spending plans over the next five years which will lead to the modernisation of over 26,000 homes.”

Other housing charges agreed at committee include a three per cent increase for lock ups, garage sites, parking bays, temporary accommodation and communal heating.