£149million investment in Renfrewshire council housing

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Renfrewshire's 13,000 council tenants are set to benefit from the latest phase of a bumper £149million six year investment in council housing.

Renfrewshire Council is to deliver £16.5m worth of improvements to council homes across Renfrewshire during 2010-2011.

The investment outlined in the council's housing budget is part of an ongoing six year programme to ensure that all of Renfrewshire's council housing meets the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015.

"This is a positive and exciting time for council tenants in Renfrewshire," said Councillor Brian Lawson, convener of Renfrewshire Council's Housing and Community Safety Policy Board.

"Our investment programme has been prepared after extensive consultation with tenants and will prove of lasting benefit."

"Modernising housing also plays a key role in community and economic regeneration. In the difficult economic situation, our investment will also bring economic and employment benefits as well as improved living conditions."

More details of the council's investment programme will be outlined next month. However, it's already confirmed that after £16.5m worth of housing improvements to council homes in 2010-2011 there will be approximately £30m investment in each of the following years up to 2015.

The coming year's programme will deliver in the region of 1,700 new kitchens and bathrooms, 1,300 new or upgraded heating systems and £850,000 worth of improvements to roofs, render gutters and downpipes.

When the whole programme is completed, it will have installed 8,000 new kitchens and 3,000 replacement heating systems. Up to 8,000 homes will have been rewired.

One of the key aims of the council's investment involves tackling fuel poverty. "Having seen the impact of freezing winter weather, I'm sure that our investment in replacement heating systems, insulation and external improvements will be particularly welcomed," added Councillor Lawson.

Council house rents in Renfrewshire will rise by 4.5% in each of the next five years. That equates to an average rent increase of £2.60 now and an average weekly rent of £60.27. The two thirds of tenants who receive housing benefit will be protected from any financial impact.

"To deliver this unprecedented investment which will transform Renfrewshire's council housing, we need to partly fund that through rents," said Councillor Lawson. "At least tenants are seeing a direct benefit in substantial improvements to the quality of their homes."

Press release: Monday 18 January 2010