Plans have been unveiled to build 120 new affordable homes in East Renfrewshire over the next three to five years.

Homes will be built in Barrhead and Newton Mearns after the proposals were approved by councillors at an East Renfrewshire Council cabinet meeting last week.

In addition to an investment of around £7.3m from the council, grants from the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme will fund these projects.

A mixture of house types and sizes will be developed to meet local demand, following years of reducing levels of housing stock as a result of the Right to Buy policy.

Councillor Danny Devlin, convener of housing, said: “This is fantastic news for East Renfrewshire residents, as the council prepares to start its most extensive house building programme in a generation. Through the Right to Buy policy, the council’s stock has reduced by around 50 per cent over the last three decades and many of the homes sold were popular family homes in sought after areas. We will now work closely with local residents to ensure these new plans meet their housing needs.”

The homes will initially be built on vacant land at Blackbyres Road, Cross Arthurlie Street, Fenwick Drive and Balgraystone Road, in Barrhead, with work expected to get under way next year. In Newton Mearns sites will be developed at Ayr Road and Maidenhill.

It is also thought that the total number of homes eventually built could increase, depending on the level of grant funding secured from the Scottish Government.

All of the new homes will be built to a higher level of energy efficiency, meaning they will release less carbon dioxide than the average home and use less energy to heat the rooms and water supply - allowing residents to make significant savings on household bills.

Jim Fletcher, council leader, added: “We are committed to providing modern, affordable homes which meet the needs of our residents. By taking forward these plans it will allow us to create new communities within East Renfrewshire which will enhance the surrounding areas. It is exceptionally pleasing that these properties will be more energy efficient which will be hugely beneficial for residents. As the plans are developed further all Registered Tenant Organisations will be consulted, as well as the wider tenant body, to make sure that we deliver first-class homes for our residents.”

This programme of work is part of the council’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan, launched last year, which will see a total of £10.4m invested into building more than 200 new homes for social rent by 2020.