A local authority with housing shortages has set a target of building 5,000 homes in the next five years.

More than 11,000 families or individuals are now on Highland Council's waiting list for housing and plans are now afoot for 1,000 homes to be built a year between now and 2017.

Council leader Drew Hendry said the administration, a coalition between Labour, SNP and the Liberal Democrats, would work with the Scottish Government, housing associations and the private sector to reach the target.

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600 of the new-builds will be council houses, in a region where the council now owns 6,500 houses than it did 20 years ago.

Councillor Hendry said: "We have set out a bold programme, which is ambitious but deliverable."

The council has also pledged to draw up an "economic recovery" plan to help the embattled Highland economy still reeling from the collapse of firms like construction company UBC.

(NE)