This adds to the 20 homes brought back to council ownership through the buy-back scheme.
It’s part of a £37.226 million spend planned in 2026/27, with a total earmarked of £65.738 million over the two-year period to the end of 2028, agreed by the full council today, Thursday.
The extra 15 homes can be built through savings in the energy efficiency budget. The savings identified would allow the purchase of these three and four bed family homes due for completion in spring and summer 2026
Some of the other proposed investment includes:
- £10.3million towards increasing the amount of new council homes. The council had already approved the delivery of 427 new houses. The programme will now deliver a further 35 additional new council houses- including new and buy-backs.
This will deliver an overall total of 462 new council houses over the course of the investment programme.
- £19.3million is planned to be invested to improve and maintain existing housing, ensuring council homes continue to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS). Works include projects to deliver energy efficiency measures, central heating replacements, aids and adaptations, electrical repair and external wall insulation upgrades.
- Planned programme works of £24.2million will take place – covering a broad range of activities, including kitchens and bathroom replacements, window and door refurbishments, painting and fencing programmes.
The SNP group did not oppose the paper. The depute group leader Pauline Stafford welcomed the commitment to set a team to enact Awab’s Law to tackle dampness and mould in social housing.
Council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick asked about the pressure on providing larger family homes and the costs of providing four- or five-bedroom homes, which are now in greater demand.
Marjory Mackie, Housing Strategy Manager, told a meeting of the full council: “In terms of the demand profile four and five bedrooms are the properties we have less numbers of.
“We try to ensure there’s a mix of houses we build. In terms of costs,the average cost of a house is £220,000. If we have only larger units the cost would be slightly more per house, and slightly less for smaller, one- or two-bedroom units. But we average out cost in terms of site.”
Executive Council for Housing George Paul said: “Good progress has been made in delivering the West Lothian Affordable Housing programme with 1,386 units completed to the end of last year. The proposed housing capital investment programme includes a further 35 new council homes delivered within budget with an additional £10m. This will deliver an overall total of 462 new council houses over a five-year investment to 27/28. These measures will increase the availability of social housing.”
Seconding budget proposal, independent councillor Andrew McGuire said : “It’s right that we continue to invest in our council housing stock, and I think that often goes under- reported. I think this budget strikes the right balance between building new houses to increase supply but also to invest in the stock that we already have.”
By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter
West Lothian will buy an extra 15 new council homes in its new capital budget for housing in the next year.
This adds to the 20 homes brought back to council ownership through the buy-back scheme.
It’s part of a £37.226 million spend planned in 2026/27, with a total earmarked of £65.738 million over the two-year period to the end of 2028, agreed by the full council today, Thursday.
The extra 15 homes can be built through savings in the energy efficiency budget. The savings identified would allow the purchase of these three and four bed family homes due for completion in spring and summer 2026
Some of the other proposed investment includes:
- £10.3million towards increasing the amount of new council homes. The council had already approved the delivery of 427 new houses. The programme will now deliver a further 35 additional new council houses- including new and buy-backs.
This will deliver an overall total of 462 new council houses over the course of the investment programme.
- £19.3million is planned to be invested to improve and maintain existing housing, ensuring council homes continue to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS). Works include projects to deliver energy efficiency measures, central heating replacements, aids and adaptations, electrical repair and external wall insulation upgrades.
- Planned programme works of £24.2million will take place – covering a broad range of activities, including kitchens and bathroom replacements, window and door refurbishments, painting and fencing programmes.
The SNP group did not oppose the paper. The depute group leader Pauline Stafford welcomed the commitment to set a team to enact Awab’s Law to tackle dampness and mould in social housing.
Council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick asked about the pressure on providing larger family homes and the costs of providing four- or five-bedroom homes, which are now in greater demand.
Marjory Mackie, Housing Strategy Manager, told a meeting of the full council: “In terms of the demand profile four and five bedrooms are the properties we have less numbers of.
“We try to ensure there’s a mix of houses we build. In terms of costs,the average cost of a house is £220,000. If we have only larger units the cost would be slightly more per house, and slightly less for smaller, one- or two-bedroom units. But we average out cost in terms of site.”
Executive Council for Housing George Paul said: “Good progress has been made in delivering the West Lothian Affordable Housing programme with 1,386 units completed to the end of last year. The proposed housing capital investment programme includes a further 35 new council homes delivered within budget with an additional £10m. This will deliver an overall total of 462 new council houses over a five-year investment to 27/28. These measures will increase the availability of social housing.”
Seconding budget proposal, independent councillor Andrew McGuire said : “It’s right that we continue to invest in our council housing stock, and I think that often goes under- reported. I think this budget strikes the right balance between building new houses to increase supply but also to invest in the stock that we already have.”
By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter
