North Lanarkshire Council invests millions to make its housing better for tenants

The aim of the investment is to benefit tenants by cutting energy costs and making their homes more comfortable to live in.

Key elements of the budget include the replacement of all kitchens and bathrooms by 2021 and delivering more energy efficient heating.

Approval for this Capital Programme Budget was given at a recent Communities and Housing Committee and this year’s budget totals over £68m.

Improvements to the energy efficiency of council houses has been allocated £21m and will see the replacement of older boilers, radiators and pipework and a move towards carbon technologies.

There will also be a continued roll-out of the window and door replacement programme by fitting modern, double glazed, energy efficient systems.

Roofing and rendering is another area for investment with over £14m being allocated to carry out major repairs and re-roofing.

A further area of spend is home safety and security with £0.5m on security entry systems and lead pipe removal.

Plans to replace all kitchens and bathrooms by 2021 continue to progress, with £11m earmarked for this year’s programme.

Tower strategy refurbishment and investment continues with a programme of inspection and repairs currently being progressed to take forward all identified areas reflecting on the age, construction and condition of the towers.

There has also been approval to install sprinkler systems in all towers to further enhance safety.

Councillor Heather McVey, convener of Communities and Housing, said: “Our planned programme of improvements will bring many benefits for our tenants. For example, new high quality windows and more energy efficient heating will help reduce heating costs and make homes more comfortable to live in.

“All of these plans form part of the council’s vision to provide better homes, regenerate town centres and create jobs.”