Council house boom for Scotland

Thousands of people are on council housing waiting lists

More than 1,300 new council homes will be built in Scotland this year, backed by £26m from the Scottish Government.

The money will be spread across 17 councils around the country and will introduce the largest council house building programme for 30 years.

Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil revealed the latest £9m tranche of funding, following the £17m announced in April.

The government claims that 3,000 jobs are expected to be supported.

The biggest beneficiary is West Lothian Council, which is receiving £3.73m to build 298 new homes.

COUNCIL HOUSE CASH

Aberdeen City - £1.95m - 78 new homes

Aberdeenshire - £0.9m - 36 new homes

City of Edinburgh - £3.35m - 134 new homes

Dundee City - £0.8m - 32 new homes for wheelchair users

East Ayrshire - £0.25m - 10 new homes

East Lothian - £2.925m - 117 new homes

Falkirk - £1.35m- 54 new homes

Fife - £1,025m - 41 new homes

Midlothian - £2.52m - 252 new homes

Moray - £1.2m - 48 new homes

North Ayrshire - £0.575 - 23 new homes

North Lanarkshire - £1.95m - 78 new homes

Orkney - £0.75m - 30 new homes

Perth & Kinross - £0.65m - 26 new homes

South Lanarkshire - £1.525m - 61 new homes

Stirling- £0.625 - 25 new homes

West Lothian - £3.73m - 298 new homes

Speaking ahead of the construction industry Scottish Home Awards ceremony in Edinburgh, Mr Neil said: "Backed by record funding, we are now working shoulder-to-shoulder with councils across Scotland to reverse decades of decline in council house building.

"These are challenging times for Scotland's businesses and families.

"Our overriding priority is to help provide access to good quality homes that people can afford.

"This is part of our wider economic recovery plan, a blueprint to help safeguard jobs, support the construction industry and keep the economy moving."

Councillor Harry McGuigan, community spokesman for local authority umbrella group Cosla, said: "Cosla fully welcomes this money to enable the further kick-starting of council house building in Scotland.

"What's important is that this is not just a one-off and that we deliver a longer-term, more sustainable agenda to secure affordable housing where councils and their communities have identified that it is needed."

The Scottish Home Awards 2009 is an independent awards programme founded to recognise excellence in the Scottish house building industry.