Putting job of painting council houses out to tender could save cash

A review of Falkirk Council’s building maintenance division, which employs painters, plumbers, slaters, plasterers and joiners, was carried out last year and identified the potential to cut costs.

Members of the executive were told the move has the backing of trades unions and will not mean job losses and the savings - tipped to be worth up to £1.75 million - will be ploughed back into improving the standard of council housing stock.

The council spends over £3 million a year on a cyclical maintenance programme with paintwork swallowing up £2.5 million of the budget.

Stuart Ritchie, director of corporate and housing, said: “There is a core of 10 painters within the cyclical maintenance programme who will all be accommodated on other paintwork duties.”