Sutherland capital investment for council housing improvements

At the meeting of the Sutherland Area Committee, Members agreed a one-year Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme that will see £533,000 spent on projects to improve Sutherland Council homes over 2022/23.

The HRA Capital Programme 2022-23 has been developed in line with the agreed principles within the 2022-27 HRA Capital Plan approved at Housing and Property Committee on 15 December 2021.

Sutherland Area Committee Chair, Cllr Richard Gale said: “The Sutherland HRA Capital Programme for 2022/23 has considered our area’s priorities following discussions with tenants, local maintenance teams, and fellow councillors. I am also pleased that the programme is committed towards increased spend on heating and energy efficiency measures. The cost of energy is a concern for many families in our communities so by focusing on improving energy efficiency in the housing stock, we can hopefully lessen the pressure of energy bills facing tenants living in Sutherland Council homes.”

The Scottish Government has committed to a review of the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing. The Council also has other commitments to improving the energy efficiency of housing stock in line with Climate Change legislation and efforts to achieve net zero emissions where feasible.

Progress against the present year HRA Capital Programme for Sutherland will be reported to the next Area Committee as an appendix to the housing performance report in addition to spend to date and estimated outturns being reported quarterly to Housing and Property Committee.