Housing minister Paul McLennan visited this week to mark the handover to Melville Housing Association of the 39 high-quality, affordable homes.

The £7.1 million development, backed by £3.94m in Scottish Government grant funding, has provided a range of energy-efficient homes for social rent as part of a wider 156-home development.

The mix of affordable housetypes includes 1 and 2-bedroom cottage flats, 1, 2 and 3-bedroom terraced homes and 2 wheelchair-accessible bungalows, ensuring a variety of housing options to meet different needs within the community.

All homes at Oakwood Edge have been designed to meet high energy efficiency standards, with solar PV panels and communal electric vehicle charging points. Four homes have also been enhanced to achieve net zero status, featuring air source heat pumps, battery storage and triple glazing.

Beyond providing much-needed affordable housing, Lovell has embedded social value throughout the project, generating an impressive £1.7m in social and local economic value. Initiatives have included community space improvements, education and cost-of-living support.

Key social value contributions include:

• Lovell, in partnership with their suppliers H&C Plumbing, Jordan Electrics, Phoenix Decorators, Tough Construction and JAD joinery, supported local youth charity Y2K and Mayfield & Easthouses Development Trust (MAEDT) to improve their community spaces.
  • Local primary school students were invited on-site to learn about careers in construction as well as health and safety.
  • Every social housing resident will receive an air fryer to help reduce energy bills.

Housing minister Paul McLennan said: “It was good to have a tour of Melville Housing Association’s new social rented development and meet one of the tenants whose new home is part of Oakwood Edge near Dalkeith. What is particularly impressive about this development is the range, quality and energy efficiency of these houses, alongside the existing community facilities in the area.

“We’re pleased to have provided £3.94m in Scottish Government grant funding for this project and have a good track record in affordable housing, delivering more than 135,000 affordable homes since 2007 including 95,000 for social rent and 26,306 council homes.

“Furthermore, our budget of £768m for 2025-26 will help tackle the housing emergency while contributing towards our target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.”

Tony Rankin, regional managing director at Lovell, said: “At Lovell, we believe building homes is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about creating lasting value for communities. Oakwood Edge is a great demonstration of how we integrate social impact into every stage of development and we’re incredibly proud of what’s been achieved here alongside our partners, Melville Housing Association.”

Donna Bogdanovic, chair of Melville Housing Association, said: “This development, our second with Lovell, is a fantastic example of how partnerships can deliver real results for communities. The homes at Oakwood Edge provide much-needed, high-quality social housing in an area of high demand. So far, 11 tenants have moved into their new homes and we’re delighted with the positive feedback we have already received from our new tenants.”

MAEDT manager Sharon Hill said: “We are incredibly grateful for the contribution Lovell has made to our community projects. Their practical support has strengthened the services we can offer to our community.”