Work to start on 90 energy-efficient homes
Midlothian Council’s most ambitious energy-efficient housing development is about to get underway.
On former school site
The £25.038m project will see 90 Passivhaus homes built on the site of the old Newbattle High School in Easthouses.
Housing mix
Contractor Ogilvie Construction is building a mixture of flats, houses and bungalows on behalf of the council.
Take heat from sun
The 90 properties will be among 207 council homes across Midlothian, all designed to the demanding Passivhaus standard. The buildings retain heat from the sun and require very little additional heating or cooling.
Important step
Midlothian Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Stuart McKenzie said: “It’s really exciting to reach this key milestone.
Low heating bills
“The homes will help tackle fuel poverty – tenants will have low heating bills – while helping us towards our net zero ambitions.
Good for communities
“We’re looking forward to working with Ogilvie on this project, which will not only provide much needed affordable homes for our tenants, but will also bring wider community benefits during the construction phase.”
Serving local people
Grier Edmead, Operations Director, Ogilvie Construction, said: “We look forward to working with the team at Midlothian Council over the next two years to deliver modern high-quality energy efficient homes that will serve the community for many years to come. We will liaise with the community throughout the build programme, communicating regularly and keeping disruption to a minimum."
Coming soon
The work is expected to finish in 2025.
2,000 homes built or on site
Just short of 2,000 council homes have been built or are on site since the council launched its ambitious affordable home programme almost two decades ago.
Multi-million pound investment
More than £352 million has been invested in building affordable, high-quality, sustainable, and energy-efficient council homes with a further £77.6 million committed. As part of the 2024/25-2028/29 Strategic Housing Improvement Plan (SHIP), the council is committed to building 832 homes within the SHIP’s timeframe.
In the picture
Grier Edmead, Operations Director, Ogilvie Construction is pictured on the left with Midlothian Council's Cabinet Member for housing, Councillor Stuart McKenzie.