The event took place at the Oakwood Edge site, near Dalkeith, to officially celebrate the beginning of construction at the eagerly anticipated Lovell development.

Oakwood Edge will offer a range of new two-, three-, and four-bedroom homes, with 39 of the homes to be provided for social use by Melville Housing Association, on the land owned by Lovell.

The new homes will make a significant contribution towards tackling the housing shortage in the local area.

Donna Bogdanovic, chair of Melville Housing Association, officially broke the ground at the event, which was attended by staff from Lovell, Melville Housing Association, and Hardies Property and Construction Consultants.

Oakwood Edge is ideally located, close to Dalkeith, Newtongrange, and Mayfield, and will enjoy considerable local amenities, as well as easy access to Edinburgh.

A play park and an art installation will also form part of the new development, in line with Lovell Partnerships’ commitment to providing community benefits and social value where it builds.

This development will be one of the first to benefit from Lovell energy efficient homes, helping to reduce the heating and lighting bills for the Melville Housing Association residents.

Lovell thanks all its partners who joined in to mark this crucial stage at Oakwood Edge and expresses its excitement at the prospect of bringing these key homes to the area.

Sarah Freel, head of partnerships at Lovell, said: “Oakwood Edge is an incredibly exciting development for Lovell and our partners, so it was wonderful to see the ceremonial first shovel going into the ground on it.

“As a partnership housebuilder, we’re delighted to be working with Melville Housing Association to deliver this development. Oakwood Edge is an example of how partnership working can benefit communities and the local economy, whilst creating numerous jobs and training opportunities.

“I’d like to express our gratitude to everyone involved in this sod cutting ceremony and thank them for their continued dedication to making Oakwood Edge a great place for families to live.”

Donna Bogdanovic, chair of Melville Housing Association, said: “It was my pleasure to take part in the sod cutting for Oakwood Edge which marks the continuation of a productive relationship between Melville and Lovell that began more than 15 years ago.

“This exciting opportunity, made possible thanks to Scottish Government funding and support from Midlothian Council, will allow us to help some of those on Midlothian’s huge social housing waiting list who are desperately waiting for a quality affordable home.

“On behalf of everyone at Melville Housing Association, I would like to say just how much we’re looking forward to following the progress of this exciting project and, when the time comes, welcoming tenants to the Oakwood Edge development.”