Stirling Council's Executive has set out a ground-breaking plan to build 244 new Council houses.

At the Executive meeting on Thursday elected members agreed an outline programme of house building on 21 sites across the district, as part of its Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) and marks a return to council house building in the area after a 22 year break.

In addition, 887 housing association homes are also planned for construction as part of the SHIP.

The new build programme will take place over the next five years and funding for the first 58 council homes has already been put in place.

Gargunnock is likely to be the first main beneficiary with 15 homes planned for construction from April 2009 and a full programme of consultation will take place with the local community.

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Bannockburn, Dunblane and central Stirling have also been identified as pressured areas and it is likely that up to forty new council homes for rent will begin construction in these areas from 2010.

Commenting on the decision Councillor Alasdair MacPherson, Portfolio Holder for Housing Strategy said: "The Strategic Housing Investment Plan, developed in partnership with local housing associations, sets out a balanced programme of developments that will ensure progress in meeting the needs of both our urban and rural communities.

"Tackling the chronic shortage of social rented housing is a priority for this administration and I’m delighted that we can now take forward this plan to the Scottish Government to bid for the funding they have available to councils to support house building programmes."

A detailed plan will be submitted to the Scottish Government by the end of the month showing that 126 new council homes will be built in the urban area and fifty one in the rural area during the next five years.

The building programme will be funded from various sources, including the Council and the Scottish Government.

The Housing Advisory Group, which has tenant representatives, will be involved in the selection of the architects and local communities and elected members will be consulted on each specific scheme.

(GK)