Stirling Council is forging ahead in its drive to build new council houses and to end the use of Bed & Breakfast temporary accommodation.

The Council has agreed to an Acquisition Programme that will see the Council buy both second hand and unsold new homes to fill the chronic shortage of social rented housing in the area.

The new programme will ensure that over 50 additional Council houses will become available to rent over the next five years.

The Council also agreed to a number of key land acquisitions as part of a larger plan to spend over £12m on building new housing across the area by 2014. The funding will come from the Council's Housing Revenue Account and Strategic Housing Account.

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It is hoped that if land transactions are successfully concluded the first homes could be available for rent by Spring 2010.

The new measures could see, within 18 months, an end to the use of temporary Bed & Breakfast accommodation.

Commenting on the Council decision Councillor Alasdair MacPherson, Portfolio Holder for Housing Strategy said: "I'm delighted that we can now enter the second stage of our ambitious council house building programme to tackle the chronic shortage of social rented housing in our area. These new measures are a significant step forward and demonstrate this Administration’s commitment to end the use bed & breakfast temporary accommodation and increase in the number of houses available for rent. This strategy meets a need; and at the same time helps to encourage employment in the local construction industry and local economy by stimulating the housing market."

Stirling Council is awaiting a decision by the Scottish Government on its recent bid for £3.35m to assist with part of a £16.5m programme to provide 134 new homes.

(CD/BMcC)