North Lanarkshire Council is moving forward with its next phase of new council houses which will see a further 282 modern homes built across 13 sites.

Entitled NL Homes by the council, the development of these new sites is part of its current £172 million investment programme to build 1,150 new homes, around a third of which have already been completed. Signs are now in place on the sites forming the next phase of the programme so local residents know what’s planned for these areas.

The new sites earmarked (see below) will provide a mix of cottage flats and family homes for local people, and work is due to get underway over the next 12-18 months. To date the council has completed 356 new homes with a further 25 due for completion next month on the site of the former Glencairn Tower in Motherwell.

Leader of North Lanarkshire Council, Councillor Jim Logue, said: “I am delighted to see the next phase of our NL Homes project moving forward with work due to start on a number of sites this year. Over the next five years we will complete around 800 new council homes and aim to further expand our new house building programme in the future.

“This is in addition to our commitment in this year’s budget to invest £250m in improvements to our existing housing over the next five years.

“I am very proud that we have been able to commit this level of investment in new and improved housing while managing to keep rents well below the Scottish local authority average. I look forward to seeing these sites taking shape and becoming part of local communities.”

Tenants moving in to the new homes are asked for feedback on their experience, and over the past three years the local authority has achieved a 98 per cent satisfaction rating.

All of the homes are built with energy efficiency in mind, achieving at least a ‘good’ eco rating to help minimise running costs for tenants.

In addition, they meet Housing for Varying Needs specification which means homes are more accessible to adapt to tenants’ mobility needs. The homes are also ‘Secured by Design’ accredited, which involves Police Scotland architectural liaison officers having input into the layout and designs to ensure we build safe and secure environments.

Convener of housing and social work, Councillor Barry McCulloch, added: “We consistently listen and act on the views of our tenants, and through consultation they have told us they would like us to provide more new council homes. We’re putting our tenants’ priorities at the heart of our service and making a positive difference to their lives.

“NL Homes supports our vision to provide affordable, good quality homes within safe and sustainable communities for the people of North Lanarkshire. In addition, our investment also supports the building industry and provides local employment opportunities.

“Our new signage marks the next phase of our new build programme and I’m confident we can continue to deliver new homes that meet the needs of our communities.”

A contribution is received from the Scottish Government towards the development costs at each site.

New signage is in place at the following sites: