Last updated 21:38, Thursday, 20 November 2008

FIVE thousand rental homes are to be modernised in Allerdale over the next three years.

Homes in Maryport, Cockermouth, Keswick, Aspatria, and Silloth will benefit from the scheme announced by the newly formed Cumbria Housing Partners consortium made up of Copeland Homes, Home, Derwent & Solway Housing Association, Impact Housing Association and Two Castles Housing Association.

A total of £45 million will be spent, and the housing association landlords have promised that for every £1 million they will employ two local trainees.

A spokeswoman for Home said the associations had joined to deliver savings through the joint procurement of materials and labour, savings that would be used to improve more homes and invest in regeneration in communities.

The work would include replacement of kitchens, bathrooms, doors and windows, central heating, and rewiring.

The consortium was launched last week, and is responsible for 20,000 homes in the county.

During 2007-08, £7.5 million was spent through the consortium.

David Fisher, chairman of Cumbria Housing Partners, said: “As Cumbria’s leading housing associations, we are all spending millions of pounds ensuring our homes meet the Government’s standard by 2010.”

“By buying materials and labour as a consortium, we are able to make large savings.“This allows us to plough the money back into regenerating our communities.”

It is anticipated that the programme will create about £1.9 million for regeneration over three years.

The landlords say they recognise that it is important to invest a significant proportion of savings to enable tenants to find training and employment.