Carlisle Housing Association is responsible for 7,000 homes

The city's housing association has pledged to spend more than �6m over the next 12 months alone.

Carlisle Housing Association is responsible for about 7,000 former council homes in the city.

Improvement work will include the installation of up-to-date central heating systems and double glazing.

The association says tenants will see some improvements brought in within the next few months.

The association's managing director Tony Bramley said: "We are acting this year in two major areas.

"The first is to eradicate cold homes by installing central heating in about 1,000 of our housing stock.

"The other is to install high specification doors to 2,000 of our properties.

"We are also planning to improve facilities to kitchens and bathrooms.

"In total we will be spending �52m over the next five years on giving our tenants better homes to live in."

Mr Bramley said all work would be carried out by local companies and the doors will be made from wood composite to avoid less environmentally friendly materials such as u-PVC.