South Ayrshire Council is taking forward a programme of works designed to tackle fuel poverty by driving down the cost of annual bills for more than 300 homes.

A total of £1.4 million is being invested to improve energy efficiency by replacing external cladding in buildings in Wallacetoun, Ayr; Woodpark in Prestwick; and at Troon Harbour that are hard to adapt internally. The six month programme of work is being funded by South Ayrshire Council and the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS).

Tenants and residents will benefit from greater insulation at no personal cost, with savings of £200 per year expected to be delivered through improved energy efficiency.

Councillor Philip Saxton, South Ayrshire Council’s portfolio holder for housing and customer services, said the investment was welcome.

He added: “As work gets underway in the three towns, people will soon be enjoying the benefits of warm, dry, energy efficient homes that will be cheaper to run in the long-term.

“The new cladding will help to reduce fuel poverty, make the properties more attractive places to live in the long term, while enhancing the local area.

“I look forward to seeing the work being completed this summer, with this programme of works helping to bring wide-ranging benefits that will breathe new life into hundreds of homes across the local communities.”