Scotland’s largest local authority landlord has agreed proposals to buy homes which are for sale in the local housing market to increase supply of available council homes for rent.

Plans are being put in place to buy up to 100 homes each year to increase the number of properties for people in North Lanarkshire to live in.

Pamela Humphries, housing development manager with the council, said: “There is a huge demand for affordable housing across North Lanarkshire and it’s vital we look at different ways of increasing the supply of homes to help meet this need.

“We have ambitious plans to transform communities and regenerate our town centres over the next two decades, including proposals to potentially demolish our existing tower blocks and to build over 2,000 new homes by 2027.

“By purchasing good quality homes on the open market, many of which will be ex-council properties, we can help meet people’s housing requirements and increase local housing supply. It will also hopefully help us progress refurbishment works within mixed tenure blocks of flats.”

The main criteria set against the purchase of homes on the open market would be:

The open market purchase is in addition to the council’s successful empty homes scheme which involves the council buying long term privately owned empty houses and flats, refurbishing them and renting them out to tenants.