The Scottish Government has announced additional funding for Dumfries and Galloway Council's Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP).

The news means a further £9.7m will be spent on building new affordable homes in the region between 2015 and 2018.

The Council has moved from a three-year investment plan, which began in 2013, to a five-year plan, but it said the additional funding over the two-year extension, means that by the end of the period, a minimum of 488 new homes will be available in Dumfries and Galloway.

The figure includes 69 affordable homes to be delivered in Dumfries in partnership with the National Housing Trust.

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Councillor Jim McClung, Chair of the Housing Sub Committee said: "The additional funding means that we can now implement all of our affordable housing schemes. Before this announcement, there were a number of slippage projects but these can now be delivered together with new initiatives. We are continuing to exceed our targets and responding to the region's housing needs."

The slippage projects to be implemented are:

• Lincluden Depot Phase 2, SGHP, 13 units
• Eastfield Road Dumfries, Loreburn HA, 12 units
• Gretna, SGHP, 30 units
• Moffat, SGHP, 30 units
• Canonbie, Loreburn HA, 20 units.

This brings the total number of projects to 105, while the 108 new units earmarked under the additional funds are:

• Former school site and former Job Centre Site in Sanquhar, SGHP, 20 units
• Dalrymple Terrace Stranraer BTS, SGHP, 1 unit
• Lochfield Road Dumfries, SGHP, 12 units
• Heathall College site, DGHP, 40 units
• Langholm, Loreburn HA, 10 units
• St Cuthberts Longacres Road Kirkcudbright, Loreburn HA, 23 units
• Sandhead, Loreburn HA, 2 units.

(JP/CD)