CLYDEBANK is set to receive a share of £55 million in grant funding over five years to deliver more affordable homes.

Council areas across Scotland are set to share more than £3.2 billion in grant funding over the next half a decade, with local authorities benefitting from an increase of more than £541m on the previous five-year allocation - an increase of more than 20 per cent.

West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) will receive £55.829m over five years, with £12.5m coming in the first year, £10.8m in the second, £10.7m in the third, £10.8m in the fourth and £10.9m in the fifth year.

A council spokesperson said: “We are committed to continuing the positive momentum of our new build housing programme More Homes West Dunbartonshire, and last year outlined plans for more than 1,200 new social housing properties to be introduced throughout the area over the next five years.

“We welcome this additional funding, which will help us achieve our ambitious goals as well as make strides in addressing housing inequalities, tackling fuel poverty and improving health outcomes for future generations within West Dunbartonshire.”

Housing secretary Shona Robison said the Scottish Government had delivered more than 102,000 affordable homes since 2007.

She said: “Building on this, our aim is to deliver 100,000 affordable homes by 2032, with at least 70 per cent of these for social rent.

“Meeting this ambition will require continued collaboration across the private and public sectors. I’m pleased to be increasing significantly the available affordable housing grant funding for council areas to help with this important work.

“The five-year allocations will provide the certainty and assurance the housing sector needs to deliver the ambitious affordable homes target set out in our Housing to 2040 strategy.”

Councillor Gail Macgregor, resources spokesperson for council umbrella body CoSLA, said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to contributing to the cost of affordable housing in Scotland.

“The priority for councils, and housing associations, is ensuring rent affordability and warm, safe, comfortable homes for current and future tenants.

“As we look to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, councils are working side by side with their communities. We maintain a focus on our shared ambitions around tackling child poverty and climate change, alongside building more houses.”