Council subsidy bid over £22.5m housing projects

Local authority bosses propose grant claims to Holyrood

Housing chiefs will be asked to approve bids for Scottish Government funding to plough on with two major new developments.

Plans to create more than 170 new homes in Johnstone Castle and Bishopton look set to cost the local authority around £22.5 million.

However, planning bosses expect to cover almost half the construction bill with subsidies from Holyrood.

A report which will go before members of the Communities, Housing and Planning board today, recommending they submit grant claims.

It states: “This report seeks authority for the director of development and housing services to accept offers of grant and submit grant claim forms to the Scottish Government for council house newbuild projects.

“The report highlights that around £10 million in grant is expected to be made available by the Scottish Government to support council house newbuild projects at Johnstone Castle and Bishopton.

“It is anticipated that around 95 new council homes will be developed at Johnstone Castle as part of a major housing regeneration project at a total cost of around £12.5 million.

“The rehousing and demolition programme is progressing well – with 66 out of 288 tenement flats now demolished and further demolition work planned later this year – and construction work on the new homes is expected to begin in early 2018.

“Preparatory work is also underway to develop 79 new council houses as the first phase of new social rented housing at Dargavel Village, Bishopton, with construction work expected to begin on site in early 2018.

“The total development cost is estimated at around £10 million and it is anticipated that around £4.5 million will be funded by Scottish Government grant funding.”

The report adds: “Renfrewshire’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan will be updated later this year and presented to the policy board for approval before submission to the Scottish Government.

“It targets investment in affordable housing to help deliver the strategic outcomes and local supply target – 200 new affordable homes each year – set out in Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2016-2021 as well as contributing to the national target of 50,000 affordable homes over the next five years.”

The report highlights that around £10m in grants is expected to be made available