Further funding to improve social housing in West Lothian
The council has updated its Housing Capital budget with £164 million now set to be invested over the next five years towards the creation and acquisition of new council homes and the ongoing maintenance of quality standards across existing housing stock.
Within the updated Housing Capital Investment Programme 2023/24 to 2027/28 there are a number of projects which relate to the internal environment of council homes. These include projects aimed at improving air quality, dampness and ventilation, kitchen and bathrooms installations, windows and door replacements, installations to improve energy efficiency and central heating upgrades.
Significant resources are being invested in these projects totalling £75.190 million over the five-year programme.
This investment reflects increasing legislative standards relating to insulation and energy efficiency of housing stock which in tandem with modern day lifestyles can create challenges relating to air quality and ventilation.
There remains a strong commitment in the capital programme for the upgrades of kitchens and bathrooms and also windows and doors in order to keep properties compliant with the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS).
Executive councillor for housing, George Paul recently paid a visit to Burns Avenue in Armadale where he met one of the council teams carrying out kitchen and bathroom upgrades.
Councillor Paul said: "Maintaining and enhancing our existing properties is of paramount importance and a great deal of resource is being invested over the next five years. Work is well underway in a number of areas and I would like to thank staff for their continued effort to deliver the best possible homes for our tenants."
Tenants who are contacted in relation to work being carried out in their property are asked to please decide to provide access to operatives to allow them safely carry out work and any mandatory inspections. Tenants are thanked for their patience and cooperation while work is being completed.
Here are just some examples of planned programme improvements and major elemental upgrade works due to take place across this year (2023/24):
- Number of window and door replacements - 390 properties
- Number of central heating replacements - 616
- Number of properties set to benefit from external wall insulation upgrades- 84
- Number of new bathrooms to be installed - 200
- Number of new kitchens to be installed - 350
- Periodic Electrical Inspections - 2287
- Smoke and Heat detection - system renewals - 1400
- Number of major adaptation installations - 110
- Roof and Render - various areas - 201 properties being upgraded
