The first of three Passivhaus homes at Springfield Place in St Boswells will complete in March and a further ten-home development at Westruther has secured planning permission.

This will provide another six 3-bedroom houses and four 2-bedroom homes.

Work on those will start from March this year and be ready for new tenants in spring 2021.

Built to Passivhaus standard, the homes generally need 90% less energy for heating and hot water than standard buildings with very low running costs. The development forms another stride towards Eildon’s fight against fuel poverty.

Westruther is one of four developments forming Eildon’s green pilot which will see up to 50 new green homes built using different building methods. Working in partnership with Scottish Borders Council, Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) and Glasgow School of Art (MEARU), the pilot will compare construction costs, time to build and the experience of tenants living in the homes.

Eildon will be looking to work closely with two families at each of the green projects for a period of time when they move in. The results will be used to determine not only the future building programme for Eildon, but also lead the way for how Scottish homes are built and lived in, in the future. 

This is all part of its strategy to invest in excess of £120 million in the Borders economy bringing much-needed jobs, regeneration and 750 affordable new homes.