HOUSING bosses have pledged to spend £2 million fixing botched works in Toryglen if residents vote to let them take over failed Thistle Housing Association.

Sanctuary Housing has announced its package of commitments should a takeover of Thistle be successful.

This includes a spend of £11m in the area by 2024, which Sanctuary said is three times more than Thistle had planned to invest.

Questions have hung over a bungled series of upgrade works to properties in the area that are still ongoing after four years of stress for locals.

Thistle repeatedly asserted that remedial works would not cost an additional funds.

A claim that baffled tenants given work was having to be repeatedly repaired and had lasted years beyond the initial 16 week completion plan.

Now Sanctuary says final repair efforts will cost £2m.

And Thistle's management committee is backing the takeover bid.

Lawrie West, committee chairman, said: “We believe the transfer will combine the strengths, capabilities and traditions of both Thistle and Sanctuary Scotland to create a stronger organisation that can deliver a thriving future for our customers and employees.”

Thistle’s 982 tenants are being asked to vote in support of the transfer in an independent ballot later this year.

Santuary said a yes vote would see it commit to:

•An Affordable Rent Guarantee, saving each household an estimated £220 on average by April 2024.

•Doubling Thistle’s community investment budget, from £25,000 to £50,000.

•Retaining Thistle’s Toryglen office and the existing staff team.

•Meaningful resident engagement through the creation of a Toryglen Customer Review Panel.

Sanctuary Scotland has been providing operational support to Thistle since March 2, with Sanctuary Scotland director Pat Cahill appointed Thistle’s interim director on April 1.

A meeting of Thistle’s Management Committee on Wednesday's night approved the joint business case for the transfer to Sanctuary Scotland.

Over the next four weeks staff from both organisations will be out speaking with Toryglen’s residents about the benefits of a YES vote, observing Scottish Government contact guidance.

All feedback will be considered by Thistle’s Management Committee before a decision is made on moving forward to the independent tenant ballot.

Mags Lightbody, Transfer Lead for Thistle, said: “The tenants and factored owners who attended our focus groups were very positive about our transfer offer. I’m confident the vast majority of Thistle customers will share this opinion.

“A YES vote in the tenant ballot will allow the local team to add to Thistle’s already excellent work in the community while enabling Sanctuary to address the wider, well publicised issues once and for all.”