North Lanarkshire Council has pledged to build an additional 1000 council homes over the next decade.

The local authority, which is Scotland's biggest council landlord, is expected to rubber-stamp the proposals at a meeting on Thursday.

By bolstering its existing new build programme, the council predicted that almost 1800 new homes would be available by 2026.

A report for Thursday's housing and social work committee estimates that the new project would cost around £160m.

A number of suitable sites have been earmarked for the developments, however they will be confirmed at a later date.

The report, signed by Des Murray, assistant chief executive for housing resources, adds: "The delivery of these new homes will help meet the need for a range of housing, including housing for older people, those with disabilities, and young people setting up home for the first time.

"The construction of new housing also delivers economic benefits, and direct training and employment opportunities, for local communities."

The Scottish Government has pledged to provide an additional 50,000 affordable homes over the next five years.

Councillor Barry McCulloch, the convener of housing and social work services, said: "This is a massive investment for the people of North Lanarkshire. As Scotland's biggest council landlord we understand that modern, accessible housing is a key priority and I'm delighted we will be able to deliver 1800 new houses by 2026.

"We already had an extensive new-build programme in place, but we are determined to do what we can to meet considerable need.

"The quality of our new houses is unbelievable. They are energy-efficient, accessible and adaptable, which means the needs of people can really be taken into account. It means we can deliver a wide range of housing, including housing for older people, disabled people and young people setting up home for the first time."

A report to the committee set out the criteria for the sites of the 1000 additional homes, which will be partially paid for with the assistance of Scottish Government grant funding.

Mr McCulloch added: "We will take into account housing need, acceptability in terms of planning legislation, cost of development and location, as well as the contribution more housing can make to wider regeneration priorities. The current programme is diverse and has sites across North Lanarkshire and clearly that's something we would like to see continued.

"There are huge advantages to planning in this way. We can make sure we get the maximum efficiency through early procurement and a programme of this scale will also create jobs, boosting our economy.

Councillor Peter Sullivan, who chaired a working group to consider the housing options, said: "New council houses are badly needed but we had to work hard to identify the best and fairest way to deliver these in the current financial climate.

"Access to good quality, affordable housing is a major priority for us and this programme - the biggest in a generation - goes some way towards meeting demand for homes. I'm delighted that many more people will be able to live in safe, efficient and accessible homes as a result of our announcement today."