As part of a newly-approved Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP), North Ayrshire Council has committed to building 1,625 new homes across the region by 2027.
Following a meeting of the council’s Cabinet, the five-year programme has been approved, which includes an increase of 50 new homes on the previous plan.
More than 500 new homes have already been completed, and around 350 are currently under construction. At that pace, North Ayrshire Council believes it is on track to deliver the targeted number of homes by its 2027 date.
The new SHIP for 2022-2027 includes the provision of an additional 50 new units to contribute further to the Estate Based Regeneration Programme, which aims to breathe new life into local communities.
The new plans will see total investment into council developments rise to £171.5m for the 2022-2027 period and represents an investment of £101.6m by North Ayrshire Council. The Scottish Government has committed to providing the council with grand funding for itself and registered social landlord partners of £81.2m.
Councillor Jim Montgomerie, cabinet member for Green New Deal and sustainability, said: “Our housebuilding programme is one of the most ambitious in the UK.
“But it’s not just about building new homes – it’s about building them in a way which helps transform our communities, in a way which is affordable, and in a way which supports our commitments to tackle climate change and to community wealth building.
“In all our new build housing developments, we seek to incorporate energy efficiency measures and renewable technologies.
“Our new homes will benefit from a range of sustainable measures such as small scale district heating schemes, and passive design measures to minimise space heating demand. By the end of this financial year, we will have installed almost new build 400 homes with solar PV panels, with a further 1,100 planned over the next five years.
“But it’s not just new homes that are benefitting - we have installed solar PV panels on the roofs of 437 existing council houses, saving tenants approximately £115 per year on energy bills, with a further 63 installations in progress.”
The newly-agreed SHIP supports the ambitions of the council’s Regeneration Delivery Plan to drive forward development on strategic regeneration sites, including town centres.
