More than 10,000 West Dunbartonshire Council homes will have environmental sensors installed in their home to detect damp and mould.

The aim is to create healthier living environments for residents by tracking air quality, humidity, and other factors, allowing the council to proactively schedule necessary work.

Councillor Gurpreet Singh Johal, convener of Housing and Communities, said: "None of our tenants should be living in a home that is affected by damp or mould and these new sensors will allow us to access information on the fabric of each home easily so we can take action quickly to resolve.

"Not only that, we will have data to track the problem and help us identify what the best approach to resolve it will be.

"This is the biggest roll out of this type of sensor in Scotland and I am proud that West Dunbartonshire’s approach to dealing with damp and mould is not only leading the way, but addressing the problem in an efficient and proactive manner."

This approach, the council said, is put in place to ensure damp or mould are swiftly and effectively tackled.

It was one of few strategies that was agreed on during a previous meeting, with others being the introduction of a new process to tackle concerns of damp and mould, including quick dampness inspections two days after an issue is raised, and categorising any necessary repairs as urgent, to be completed within 10 working days.

After repair work, there will be follow-up visits to assess whether the household may need additional support, including financial aid, and a final inspection within 60 days to ensure no further steps are needed.

Councillor Hazel Sorrell, vice convener of Housing and Communities, said: "We have demonstrated how committed we are to tackling any instances of damp and mould in our homes and I hope this action reassures our tenants that it is something we are taking very seriously.

"We want to ensure all cases of dampness or mould are treated quickly and effectively and the environmental sensors will allow us to do that by alerting us when homes are at risk of mould developing and provide us with the insight needed to address it."