New affordable homes officially handed over to housing association

Located within Phase 2 of Taylor Wimpey’s Pentland Green development at Bilston, the mix of two and three-bedroom homes, as well as one and two-bedroom apartments, are now fully occupied by association tenants.

Phase One of the development features 49 properties. All are energy efficient and are fitted with solar PV panels to provide financial and environmental benefits for tenants.

Phil Cooper, Land and Planning Director at Taylor Wimpey East Scotland, said: “We have enjoyed a successful partnership with Melville for around 14 years, where we have delivered a wide range of affordable homes across the Midlothian area, which now totals 105 including these properties.

“We strongly believe that a generous supply of good quality and energy efficient housing is a vital part of both our society and our economy, so we’ re very proud of the contribution these properties make to the sense of community that exists at our development at Bilston."

Susan and David Crawford, who were amongst the final tenants to move into their new homes, said: “Being told we were getting a brand-new home in Bilston was the best news we could have asked for. We’re delighted with our house and any issues we’ve had have been resolved quickly.”

The completion of this development also marks a milestone for Melville Housing Association, the area’s largest social landlord.

Neil Edgar, development manager, said: “When we began working with Taylor Wimpey at Bilston in 2015, we had just 26 homes in the local area. Eight years later we have 110 in total in Bilston, and that’s an additional 84 families that now have a modern, secure and affordable home.

“None of these would have been possible without the Scottish Government and Midlothian Council and I would like to thank them for their continued support. There’s a great deal of work still to be done but we will continue to play our part in tackling Midlothian’s lengthy social housing waiting list.”