Housing provider Shoreline to spend £40m on North East Lincolnshire homes

Roofing repairs will be carried out at some of the 7,610 properties covered by the project

More than 7,600 former council homes in North East Lincolnshire are to be renovated in a £40m project.

The work will start in March and will be carried out over four years, said Shoreline, which took over North East Lincolnshire Council's housing in 2005.

New kitchens, bathrooms, heating systems and windows will be installed among 7,610 houses, Shoreline said.

Construction companies Forrest and Wates Living Space have been awarded contracts to undertake the work.

'Huge investment'

Roofing repairs and external decoration will also be carried out at the properties which are spread throughout Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Immingham and surrounding villages.

The project will create seven paid apprenticeships and 21 work placements for people in education and long-term unemployment.

Chris Shaw, the leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: "Shoreline's huge investment in their housing stock is great news for the borough.

"It will result in thousands of higher quality homes for new and existing tenants and also jobs and construction work placements while the work is carried out."

Shoreline said its investment followed a £52m revamp of thousands of homes announced in 2005 when it initially took over the former council housing stock.