Affordable to buy

Wishaw is one of the most affordable towns in Britain for many public sector workers according to a new survey.

The Halifax Key Worker Housing Review tracks housing affordability for buyers for five groups of public sector workers - nurses, teachers, police officers, firefighters and paramedics - in 481 towns or London boroughs across Britain.

The survey ranked Wishaw as the seventh most affordable town in the UK and was fourth in Scotland behind Grangemouth, Kilwinning and Lochgelly.

Wishaw MSP Clare Adamson said: “This is fantastic news for public sector workers and for Wishaw.

“Wishaw is a fantastic town to live in with great community spirit, retail opportunities and transport links.

“This news comes alongside the Scottish Government ’ s recent decision to lift the public sector pay cap which should allow more public sector workers the freedom to choose a home which suits their needs.

“The SNP Government have also reiterated their commitment to reach 50,000 new affordable homes in Scotland by 2021 with a recent announcement that North Lanarkshire will receive a further £100 million over the next three years to assist in achieving affordable housing locally.”

The latest survey comes after it was revealed in May that North Lanarkshire has the fifth lowest house prices in Scotland.

The statistics, released by eMoov.co.uk, revealed the average cost for a home in the region was £99,374.