£17m kick-start to build 1,000 new council homes

Published on Friday 10 April 2009 00:50

ALMOST £17 million of funding to help kick-start the first major council house building programme in 30 years was announced yesterday.

A total of 970 affordable homes will be built in 14 councils areas with the cash. Much of the money goes to Edinburgh and the Lothians where there have been concerns over the lack of affordable housing.

Alex Neil, the housing minister, said: "The announcement will help the successful local authorities to reverse decades of decline in council house building as well as safeguarding jobs, supporting the construction industry and keeping the economy moving."

The money allocated yesterday goes to the first successful applicants for a share of 25 million for council houses. Work is already under way to ensure that the remainder of the cash is distributed as quickly as possible, the government said.

Councillor Harry McGuigan, Cosla's spokesman for community wellbeing and safety, said: "This ... will provide not just for families and individuals in housing need today, but safeguard publicly-owned quality homes for future generations too."

More than 9 million has gone to four councils covering Edinburgh and the Lothians.

East Lothian gets 2.6 million for 105 homes, Midlothian 2.5 million for 252 , West Lothian 2.5 million for 248 , while Edinburgh gets 1.7 million for 67 .