Renfrewshire Council has launched a £138million five-year programme which will improve thousands of council tenants’ homes and give an economic and employment boost to the area.

The Delivering Housing Improvements programme will install up to 8,000 new kitchens; fit up to 7,500 new bathrooms; rewire up to 8,000 homes and upgrade up to 6,000 heating systems by 2015.

The project also includes external works such as repairs/upgrading to roofs, roughcast and paths.

All social-rented accommodation in Scotland needs to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015. This major programme of housing improvements will ensure all of Renfrewshire Council’s housing stock meets that standard.

A successful pilot of 150 homes is now complete and the first major phase of works will begin.

During 2010-1, £16.5million worth of improvements will be delivered, followed by approximately £30million in each of the following years up to 2015.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Derek Mackay said: “This is a massive investment not only in our tenants’ homes but in Renfrewshire. As well as modernising our housing stock and enhancing the quality of life for our tenants, the Delivering Housing Improvements programme will deliver substantial benefits for the whole community. It will create new jobs, deliver training opportunities for local apprentices, support local economic regeneration, reduce fuel poverty and make homes more energy efficient.”

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By the end of the first year around 1700 new kitchens and bathrooms and 1300 new or upgraded heating systems will have been installed.

Later this year the external improvements works will also begin, with around £500,000 worth of improvements to roofs, render gutters and downpipes in the first year.

The programme will also deliver a significant boost to local business and employment. Four trainees, four new apprentices and eight new employees have already been taken on by contractors to work on the project. A further 50 employment and apprentice opportunities are anticipated during the course of the investment. Over a dozen local businesses are also involved as suppliers.

Councillor Brian Lawson, Renfrewshire Council’s Housing spokesperson, said: “This investment programme has been prepared after extensive consultation with our tenants. Last year we asked tenants to tell us their top priorities for improvements in their homes and these are reflected in the programme of works now getting underway.

“This unprecedented level of investment will transform Renfrewshire’s council housing. To be able to do this we need to partly fund the project through rents. Tenants will be able to see the direct benefit of their increased rents going straight back into improving their homes.”

Not every house will need work to meet the SHQS, for example a new kitchen or bathroom may have already been installed as part of an earlier investment programme or when the house was empty. Tenants will be contacted directly by contractors when works are to begin in their area.

Renfrewshire Council are delivering the improvement programme in partnership with four contractors – Connaught, Wates, The Apollo Group and Carillion.

(GK/KMcA)