The homes were completed at Caledonian Avenue, Bellshill - 8 homes (Phase 2); Dimsdale Road, Wishaw – 55 Homes (Phase 2); Roberts Street, Wishaw – 16 homes and Lismore Drive, Coatbridge – 58 homes. This brings the total of new council homes built across North Lanarkshire to 934.

The council has secured many other sites for new homes, including several town centre area sites and development of land linked to its tower re-provisioning programme, and currently have 287 homes under construction.

Pamela Humphries, head of planning and regeneration, said: “We continue to make real progress delivering our ambitious new council house building programme. As well as providing modern, affordable, energy efficient homes for our tenants, our new homes are also helping regenerate our town centres and communities, boosting the local economy, providing job opportunities for local people and delivering a range of community benefits.

“The building industry is still recovering from the pandemic and we’re working hard to overcome challenges faced with increasing prices and a demand for materials. We’re committed to keeping our projects on track and delivering value for money as we continue to roll out our new housing programme which is key to North Lanarkshire’s regeneration plans.”

According to the council, the new homes deliver high-quality design standards, including Housing for Varying Needs, which means they adapt to suit tenants’ needs; Secure by Design to keep tenants safe and secure and dementia-friendly measures. They’re also well insulated and highly energy efficient as the council is embracing new, renewable technologies and building greener homes by using solar panels, providing electric vehicle charging points and piloting net zero heating initiatives.

Community benefits form an integral part of the contracts agreed with developers and include benefits such as work experience and job opportunities, career events and working with local supply chains.

This year’s completed new build projects delivered community benefits across each area. These included: creating new jobs; education support via virtual school sessions; contributions to local clubs to assist with repairs and maintenance; monies donated to local food banks and funding for local community projects.

The council is also increasing the number of homes it has available to rent across the area. This year, through its Open Market Purchase Scheme it purchased a further 75 homes, bringing the total to 560 homes purchased – surpassing the 500 milestone.

Pamela Humphries added: “Our commitment to improving the lives of our residents and transforming local communities is at the heart of our housing plans. We’re delivering first-class homes for our tenants and residents meeting their needs now and for generations to come.”