North Lanarkshire Council is set to move forward with a pilot programme to buy new 'off the shelf homes' from housing developers.

The pilot, which was recently green lit, supports the Council's plans to deliver 5,000 affordable homes by 2035.

It will initially focus on potential developments in Airdrie, Coatbridge, Bellshill and Motherwell, where the local authority will proactively engage with housing developers at an early stage to potentially purchase new homes.

Robert Steenson, Executive Director of Enterprise and Communities, shed some light on this 'development pathfinder' approach.

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"We've already purchased homes from private developers on sites in Ravenscraig, Muirhead, Chryston and Gartcosh and found this to be a cost effective way of delivering new affordable homes," he explained.

"All homes would continue to be built to the standards set by North Lanarkshire Council for its new build homes including meeting required accessibility and sustainability standards.

"This approach is in addition to our traditional design and build method and supplements our future plans for new build homes making North Lanarkshire the place to live.

"Our programme is gathering pace all the time and we now have agreement to commence procurement to potentially deliver new homes on the site of the former Columba High School in Coatbridge and for a major development of up to 150 new home at Holehills in Airdrie which is another major step forward in our plans."

The Holehills site, at Dykehead Road in Airdrie is the first multi-story demolition and is scheduled to take place in early 2020.

(CM/MH)