Building Standards

Housing Grants

Repairs Grants

The amount of grant aid offered will be subject to a test of financial resources and can be up to 100%.

Repair Grants are available for the replacement of Lead Plumbing and Major Repairs.

Replacement of lead plumbing

Grant can be approved for works to alter or replace lead plumbing, to combat the health risks associated with the presence of high levels of lead in drinking water. This may involve:

the by-passing, relining or replacement of a lead-lined tank supplying water to the tap in the kitchen or other tap used as the 'drinking tap'
the replacement or by-passing of lead piping within the house or the curtilage of a house, and leading to the drinking tap, or
a combination of (a) and (b) above.

Note: Applicants are reminded that the removal of the lead communication pipe could affect the earthing of the electrical installation. On completion of the work, a competent electrician should check that the earthing of the installation is intact.

Major Repairs

Grant aid may also be available for the following major repairs

Structural repairs
Renewal of roof covering
Roof repairs, including chimneys and flashings
Renewal of guttering, down pipes
Renewal/replacement of windows
Essential renewal of external roughcast/ rendering

When the proposed works:

Involve South Ayrshire Care and Repair
Form part of a Council modernisation programme
Will make the building safe as part of the Public Safety Survey of Town Centres (Ayr, Troon, Prestwick, Maybole and Girvan)
Involve an empty property identified by the Council and operated by a landlord participating in the Council's Voluntary Accreditation Scheme

Note: The South Ayrshire Care and Repair Scheme is designed to assist with the improvement of privately owned housing for occupants/residents over 60 or disabled.
Further information can be obtained from:

South Ayrshire Care and Repair
Unit 2 Beresford Court
6 Beresford Lane
Ayr KA7 2DW
Tel: 01292 281813

Depending on the nature of the work to be done, a Building Warrant and/or Planning Permission may have to be obtained from South Ayrshire Council. Further advice is available from:

The Building Standards Service, 2nd Floor, Burns House, Burns Statue Square, Ayr
(Tel. No.: North Team - 01292 616176 and South Team - 01292 616264)

The Planning Development Service, 2nd Floor, Burns House, Burns Statue Square, Ayr
(Tel. No.: 01292-616107)

An application for a Repairs Grant must be accompanied by two detailed estimates and specifications of the proposed works.

A copy of Title Deeds/Land Certificate must be submitted before registration of the application can be made.

Any grant aided works must be carried out to the satisfaction of the Council. Inspection by Officials of the Council will be necessary.

If your application is not approved or if the amount of grant is less than that which may be fixed under the relevant legislation, you will be given reasons in writing.

Grant is not available:

for houses built or provided by conversion within the last 10 years
where the grant is calculated at less than £100.00
for works of routine maintenance
to carry out woodworm eradication

The applicant must be the owner of the house or the lessee. If the applicant is not the occupier of the house the occupier's consent to the proposed improvements should be obtained before making the application (in general a landlord may not carry out improvements without the consent of the tenant).

If the house is security for a loan, eg. a mortgage, the Building Society or other lender should be notified of the application for grant. A copy of any necessary letter of consent should be attached to the application.

If you are not the owner of the house, the owner (and all joint owners) must agree to the application being made.

If grant is given, the following conditions apply to the house for 5 years after the work is completed.

the house must be used as a private dwelling-house (although part may be used for business purposes);
if the owner or a member of their family occupy the house, it must be their main home; and
the house must be kept in good repair, as far as possible.

The conditions will be registered on the Title Deeds/Land Certificate of the house. If the conditions are breached, the local authority may require the grant to be repaid, with interest. If there are any loans secured on the house the lender should be informed of this application. These conditions do not apply to commercial premises and further information should be sought from Building Standards

Section 242(5) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (as amended) provides that, where grant or assistance has been given in respect of a house under:

Part 13 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (ie. an Improvement or Repairs Grant) and as described in subsections (5A) and (5B) of section 242(5)

Section 42(2) of the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993

then any such grant paid will be deducted from the maximum approved expense of this application.

If after the application is approved, the Council are satisfied that owing to circumstances beyond the control of the applicant the expense of the works will exceed the estimate contained in the application, they may on production of a further estimate substitute a higher amount as the amount of the approved expense.

Some questions on the application may require information available to the owner who, where he is not the applicant, should be asked to complete and sign the declaration form.

The amount of grant offered usually depends on the income of the applicant and their partner over the past year. ('Partner' means someone you are married to, or someone who normally lives with you as if you are married).

If you are a joint owner, joint tenant or joint liferenter, the income of all the joint owners, joint tenants and joint liferenters, and of their partners, is also taken into account. You will need to collect information from all these people to fill in part D of the form, and ask them to sign to confirm that the information about them is correct.

You must tell them what the information is for, and which local authority you are sending this application to.

If the application relates to a house which is not your main home or the main home of a member of your family, or if the applicant is a company or organisation, the amount of grant depends on the cost of works compared to the increase in value of the house due to those works, and certain other criteria.

Please contact us if you require further details.