Council Bids For Funding For 750 Council Houses
18th May 2011
Highland Councillors have agreed in principle to build 750 new council houses over the next five years. Members of The Highland Council's Housing and Social Work Committee have agreed to submit a bid for a programme of 101 new build homes for 2011/12 under the Scottish Government's Innovation and Investment Fund.
They also approved in principle a further programme of 650 houses over the following four years (from 2012 - 2013).
The committee heard that the Council is already committed to new borrowing of £55 million over the next five years in order to fund improvements to existing stock required to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard and fund the existing Council house building programme of 107 houses.
Councillor Margaret Davidson, Chairman of the Housing and Social Work Committee said: "I am absolutely delighted that we have the unanimous support of the Committee to seek Scottish Government funding to continue and significantly increase the number of council houses we build in the Highlands. These houses are badly needed in the Highlands to meet a huge demand for affordable housing and we believe the proposed programme is affordable. This will sustain our communities and support the local construction industry."
The maximum grant available for each house is £30,000, which requires new borrowing of £9.595 million for the first phase of building 101 houses.
Councillor Davidson said a small increase in rent (67p), over and above any rent increase required to fund ongoing council house upgrades, was needed to help fund the first phase of the building programme.
The current housing building programme of 107 houses has seen homes built in Inverness (28), Invergordon (23), Caol (12), Conon Bridge (10), Tain (9), Strathpeffer (8), Nairn (8), Portree (6) and Fort William (3).
The locations of the houses to be build in the proposed 101-house next phase of house building is: Inverness (47), Dingwall (12), Kingussie (10), Gairloch (8), Muir of Ord (6), Conon Bridge (6), Dornie (6), and Ardgour (6).
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Members have considered an update on the Council's medium term financial plan and the impact of the UK and Scottish Governments’ budgets on the coming year’s funding settlement. The position is currently looking more positive than initially planned for, however more detail needs to be worked through.
In November, The Highland Council launched a public statutory consultation to seek views on the proposed introduction of a Visitor Levy scheme across the Highlands. The Council has announced an extension to this consultation period, which will now give businesses, visitors and communities until 31 March 2025, an additional seven weeks, to take part and have their say.
In the light of the financial forecast for 2025-26, Highland Council is inviting you to tell us more in the budget preparation for the coming financial year. The budget engagement builds on extensive budget participation which took place in the winter of 2023-24.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Every year Highland Council invites all tenants to have their say on the rent levels for the following year. The Council encourages everyone that lives in a council house to take this chance to have their say.
Communities and Place Committee met yesterday (Wednesday 27 November 2024) and Members agreed the Highland Local Child Poverty Action Report which includes actions for delivery in 2024/25. Reducing child poverty is a priority for the Council and its partners.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Members of the Highland Council's Community and Place Committee have given their support to an action plan focusing on the operating of public conveniences over the next 10 years. Whilst not a statutory function, the Council is the main provider of public conveniences located throughout Highland, operating 74 sites.
A report published on 27 November 2024 by LGIU (Local Government Information Unit) looks at the state of funding for councils by the Scottish Government. Confidence in the sustainability of council finances is critically low.
At today's (Wednesday 27 November 2024) Communities & Place Committee, Members agreed the most appropriate long-term strategic direction for residual waste management is to continue to utilise a merchant provider solution. Communities & Place Committee Chair, Cllr Graham MacKenzie said: "After careful consideration and analysis it has been agreed that a merchant provider solution is considered the most appropriate long term solution to our statutory waste management obligations, and that an energy-from- waste facility within the Highlands is not considered to be a suitable course of action.
