Two housing providers owned by Sanctuary Group will merge with Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association after tenants overwhelmingly endorsed a proposal to unite.

More than 84 per cent of Sanctuary Cumbernauld and Tenants First Housing Co-operative voters said ‘Yes’ to joining Sanctuary Scotland, which will soon become the country’s 4th largest social landlord with almost 6,000 homes available to let.

Sanctuary Scotland’s portfolio will be bolstered by around 2,000 properties in Cumbernauld and around 1,500 in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Gordon Laurie, director – Sanctuary in Scotland, said: “Both sets of tenants have given a very clear mandate for their landlords to merge with Sanctuary Scotland.

“We anticipate the merged organisation going live later this summer, once the legal formalities have been completed.

“The larger, stronger Sanctuary Scotland that will emerge from this merger will better serve every one of our tenants.

“I am delighted that the vast majority who voted share our vision and took the time to make their voice heard.”

The ballots were separate but similarly convincing in their approval of the merger.

For Tenants First, 654 (or 84.8 per cent) of the 771 valid votes cast said ‘Yes’ while 451 (or 84.5 per cent) of the 534 valid votes cast approved the move for Sanctuary Cumbernauld.

The percentage of eligible tenants who voted was 40.6 per cent and 32.0 per cent respectively.