North Lanarkshire to build 1,000 council houses

Construction - credit Fotolia

North Lanarkshire Council has said it plans to build 1,000 new council homes at a cost of £160m.

The local authority, which is already Scotland's biggest social landlord, said it was going to build 1,800 new homes by 2026 to alleviate pressure on a waiting list of over 12,000.

The Scottish Government has said it wants 50,000 affordable homes built over the lifetime of this parliament - with 35,000 for rent by councils or housing associations. This follows the abolition of the right to buy in Scotland in July.

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The announcement follows engagement with its existing tenants which included face-to-face surveys on the quality of their homes and antisocial behaviour.

Housing convenor Barry McCulloch told the BBC the new homes would be energy-efficient, accessible and adaptable. 

Last year research by Shelter Scotland, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and the Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland claimed at least 12,000 new affordable homes needed to be built each year to tackle shortages.