South Lanarkshire Council aims to deliver over 4000 private and affordable homes in the area over the next five years.
In the council’s new Local Housing Strategy 2022 to 2027 which was approved by councillors at the executive committee meeting this week, it sets out the local authorities plans on delivering housing across the area.
Feedback from the draft Local Housing Strategy was positive and there was strong support for its priorities.
Feedback included consideration to be given to developing housing for adults with learning difficulties and neurodiversity issues, options for reducing energy costs for tenants and residents in South Lanarkshire, improving greenspace and options for wheelchair accessible housing.
Council leader Joe Fagan (East Kilbride Central North), and chair of the executive committee, said: “I want to congratulate the team who have been working on this for a long time. It is only a strategy and we’ve got the action plan to come, but it has been done in a changing environment.
“So on behalf of the administration I would like to thank all the officials who took part in this.”
As a statutory requirement, the Local Housing Strategy establishes five-year housing supply targets for affordable and private/market housing.
The supply target for 2022 to 2027 includes 250 to 300 affordable homes per year (equating to 1250 to 1500 in total) and 700 to 750 private homes per year (totalling 3500 to 3750).
Overall this equates to 950 to 1050 homes per year and 4750 to 5250 over the five year period.
Councillor Davie McLachlan, the council’s chairman of housing and technical resources, said: “This additional housing is essential and will be a huge boost to South Lanarkshire over the coming years.
“The other aims of the strategy are just as important and it is wonderful to see the emphasis on helping people in need, as well as improving the stock we have for our existing tenants, because it is important to remember that the most important part of housing is the people in it.
“At the same time, we must always be conscious of the environment and our effect on it and I am delighted to see several aspects of the strategy addressing this.
"Overall, this is a Local Housing strategy that seeks to improve life for people across South Lanarkshire and benefit the world we live in, and I look forward to seeing it unfold over the coming years.”
Councillor Mo Razzaq (Blantyre), asked the council’s plans for changing boilers in homes to decarbonise.
He said: “I know that the builders now are going from gas to electric boilers. Do we have any plans of what we’ll be doing within the council, will we be replacing boilers?”
Council officers confirmed that it is in the process of renewing like-for-like gas boilers in its own domestic stock and looking at how and where non-carbon sources can be changed.
Councillor Margaret Walker (Cambuslang West), questioned future plans for older people.
She said: “My question is in terms of demographics, there’s going to be an increase in people with complex needs, over 75 and 80, and I know that the strategy has covered sheltered housing. But there’s no specifics in terms of the demand outstripping supply.
“A key part of the whole strategy is choice around accommodation for older people and housing is a major part of that, sheltered housing is very popular among older people and families when they want to stay in their own communities.
"There’s no real specifics in future terms of demand, we should know where we are in terms of what the needs are going to be and what the demand is going to be.”
Health and social care partners have been consulted on this issue, and an adaptation programme has been developed to ensure that housing for older people is refreshed and more options are offered.
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