Barrhead-based contractor A.C. Whyte will deliver a £5m programme to upgrade more than 490 East Ayrshire homes by September 2021.

The £5m contract will see A.C. Whyte renovate almost 500 homes in Kilmaurs, Logan and Dalrymple with insulated roofing as part of its mission to improve energy efficiency in homes across Scotland.

East Ayrshire Council awarded the roof and render works contract to the family-owned business with a view to work starting in March. However due to COVID-19 government guidelines, this was placed on hold.

As restrictions begin to ease and with strict health and safety measures implemented across all A.C. Whyte sites, the two organisations have resumed talks on how to move forward in delivering these renovations safely and efficiently as soon as possible.

John McIntyre, contract manager at A.C. Whyte, said: “At A.C. Whyte we consistently aim to exceed client and resident expectations. We have been working closely with East Ayrshire Council using our expertise to create a robust and effective plan to successfully fulfil the contract that will be a welcome boost to the community and contribute a significant level of investment to the region.”

A.C. Whyte and East Ayrshire Council say they are focused on delivering quality investment into the community through the project including employment and educational opportunities.

As part of this, the contractor will work with East Ayrshire Council’s Vibrant Communities project which aims to create a clean, green and vibrant region to work, visit and live by bringing local businesses together. This will include A.C. Whyte continuing to support initiatives such as gardening and youth empowerment services.

Maureen Stevenson, head of marketing and development at A.C. Whyte, said: “We pride ourselves on offering real community benefits that have tangible outcomes for residents.

“Social distancing is posing a unique opportunity to provide bespoke support to the communities we work in by forcing us to be even more creative when considering what these benefits are, and how we deliver them in this ‘new normal’.

“We are working hard on what this will be in East Ayrshire and we are looking forward to sharing this with the council team and residents.”