Tenants across the Falkirk Council area will see start to see their repairs completed more quickly and with fewer visits.

Thanks to new “bolt on skills” being introduced across the local authority’s Building Maintenance Division (BMD) the council’s tradespeople can now complete a wider range of tasks in one visit.

For example, a plumber fitting new bath taps can also remove and refit the bath panel, avoiding the need for another tradesperson to attend later.

For tenants, that means a quicker, more efficient service with fewer appointments to schedule, less time waiting at home and faster completion of repairs. The change also helps reduce travel time, with fewer vehicles needed to attend a single job, lowering fuel costs and reducing carbon emissions.

Falkirk Council now has the skills to complete repairs faster and in fewer visits (Picture: Submitted)

placeholder image — Falkirk Council now has the skills to complete repairs faster and in fewer visits (Picture: Submitted)

Councillor Gary Bouse, council housing spokesperson, said: “This is a big win for our tenants. Fewer visits mean less disruption and quicker repairs, which is exactly what people want from their local Council. It’s about delivering a service that works around tenants’ lives, not the other way round.

“By expanding the skills of our workforce, we can tackle more tasks in one go. That saves time for our tenants and for our trades teams and it means we’re using our resources more efficiently.

"It also helps cut vehicle use which reduces our carbon emissions.”

The “Bolt On” training programme was delivered in-house with BMD staff adapting an under-used room into a training centre which will be used to support and develop the 40 apprentices who are currently employed in BMD.