New homes scheme doubles

A "GROUND-BREAKING" housing scheme will be doubled in size to provide a total of 2,000 affordable new homes for rent, the Scottish Government has announced.

Councils will have the opportunity to participate in a further round of the scheme, which is designed to kick-start work on mothballed building sites.

Housing minister Alex Neil said: "The response from the house building sector demonstrates their willingness to work alongside local authorities to address housing need, while giving the construction industry a boost. That is why I'm announcing plans to expand the model further to build more homes."