Weslo Housing Management has launched a £5 million property upgrade programme for its properties across West Lothian.

The Bathgate-based social landlord has agreed a deal with Bothwell-based MCN (Scotland) Ltd to fit 2,000 new bathrooms at the properties over the next five years.

Following a successful pilot project in 2014 that saw 90 Weslo tenants receive a bathroom upgrade, work will now start on a further 300 properties this year with all work due to be completed by 2019.

The £5m contract with MCN will allow the company to retain ten full-time positions over the next five years – as well as creating a regular flow of trade apprenticeships to attract young people into the building industry.

Welcoming the deal, Weslo chief executive Mike Bruce said: “I am pleased to finally commit to the fitting of over 2,000 new bathrooms over the next five years. This is a subject that has been high up on our tenants’ agenda, but not one that we’ve been able to directly address until we had ensured all of our stock was compliant with the Scottish Housing Quality Standard.

“Now that we’ve reached that goal we move on to the next phase and that means good news - and new bathrooms for our tenants.”

Fiona Hyslop, MSP for the Linlithgow constituency, commended Weslo’s efforts.

“It’s great to see such an extensive programme of works being introduced locally which will be very popular with Weslo’s tenants,” she said. “I’m greatly encouraged by the support these programmes give to sustaining jobs in our area and the opportunities to create apprenticeships to get young people into work.”

The upgrading work consists of a complete new bathroom suite, a choice of wall to ceiling boarding, over bath shower and screen, new flooring and redecoration of the ceiling. Each installation will be completed in two days.

Andy Shearer, director of MCN, added: “We have already delivered the first 90 bathrooms, and all were finished to a high quality using materials sourced from locally-based Grahams and Grant Westfield. All the feedback we’ve received so far from tenants has been positive.

“We are committed to completing each upgrade within two days of work starting, ensuring minimum fuss and disruption to tenants. We are confident the remaining households will be just as pleased.”

To launch the upgrading programme, Mike Bruce joined Fiona Hyslop for a tour of properties which have already received a bathroom upgrade.

Carole Taylor from Linlithgow, one of the first Weslo tenants to receive a new bathroom, said: “I am absolutely thrilled with my new bathroom. The standard of work has been exceptional and all the workers were very pleasant to deal with. The improvements make a huge difference to my quality of life.”

@WesloHousing

@FionaHyslop

@MikeBruceWHM