Aberdeenshire Council is to spend £6,274,000 upgrading hundreds of residential properties – including work in Newtonhill.

The works were approved by the Policy & Resources Committee on Thursday. 

The forecast budget spend on housing improvements and new build housing in Aberdeenshire will be around £50million this financial year.

Major structural repair work to 17 semi-detached blocks at Pitcaple, Lumphanan, Blackburn, Newtonhill, Banff and Huntly, was approved at an estimated cost of £2,387,000.

The work, expected to start in January 2015, includes repair of the structural frames of the properties, increasing thermal insulation, replacement of doors and windows and upgrading of heating installations, bathrooms and kitchens.

This is the third phase of works to upgrade the Swedish-type houses and tenants and householders have been kept informed of the proposals.

Improvements to the front and back doors on 810 houses across Aberdeenshire was also approved, at an estimated cost of £2,556,000. The contract will now be put out to tender, with work due to start in November, to be completed by March 2015. A number of homes in Newtonhill are included, at Fulmar Court, Turnstone Court, Sanderling Court, and Tern Court.

A £710,000 project will see the removal of timber windows in 149 houses and two housing complexes and replacing them with A-rated high performance double-glazed windows across Aberdeenshire including Banchory, Fraserburgh, Gourdon, Ellon and Kemnay.

Councillors also approved a further £345,000 to be spent upgrading the windows and doors in 77 residential properties in Peterhead and Aboyne.

An additional £276,000 is to be spent on electrical upgrades to properties in Banff, Huntly and Stonehaven after the work was approved by the committee. The upgrades, to affect 107 properties across the three towns, will start in November and is due for completion by March 2015.