Target of 460 new homes per year for the area

AN ambitious target of delivering 460 new houses per year is to be set by Dumfries and Galloway Council.

The local authority is upping its game, having fallen short of expected numbers over the previous decade.

The council has drawn up a housing supply target (HST) of 210 affordable homes and 250 market housing unit as part of its new Local Housing Strategy for 2025-2030.

While the local authority doesn’t own any housing stock, it works with housing associations on homes provision, and is also investing in various initiatives to bring empty properties into use as housing.

Over the last ten years, a total of 3236 housing units were delivered. This equated to an average of 196 market houses per year and 130 affordable housing units.

The council’s Local Housing Strategy (LHS) for 2025-30 will be presented at a special council meeting next Tuesday. It sets out its vision, priorities and plans for the delivery of housing and related services.

In May this year, councillors sitting on the Tackling Poverty, Inequalities and Housing Sub Committee also agreed the following priorities:

. Priority 1 – Building more homes supports a local economy that creates sustainable communities and places.

. Priority 2 – Supporting people to live independently in the home and community they choose.

. Priority 3 – Extending housing options and supporting growth including improvement in the private rented sector.

. Priority 4 – Achieving affordable warmth in sustainable, energy efficient homes.

. Priority 5 – Supporting repair, maintenance and improvement in all homes. Empty properties being brought back into effective use presents an opportunity to tackle the shortage of homes available for people on the homelessness list.

There are 2796 properties (four percent of all dwellings) across Dumfries and Galloway that are currently classified as vacant, which is slightly higher than the Scottish average of three percent.

The LHS document states: “The new LHS will programme further action to bring more long-term empty properties back into residential use, ensuring that there is a continued reduction in the number of long-term empty homes.