The new homes, built by Cala Homes (West) within its Maidenhill development, will comprise 36 one-bedroom flats, as well as 37 two-bedroom, 26 three-bedroom and six four-bedroom houses.

The project represents an investment of more than £19 million, with funding from Scottish Government grants, developer contributions and the council’s own capital investment, and follows on from the successful delivery of 96 affordable homes in Maidenhill through Taylor Wimpey and Robertson Homes in recent years.

The high-quality properties benefit from solar panels, helping to keep tenant’s energy bills low, and a water mist system, which is fitted in all rooms and is independently set off when excessive heat is detected.

The first eight homes have been handed over to new tenants, including Douglas Watt, who has moved into a one-bedroom flat. Council leader Owen O’Donnell and director of environment Caitriona McAuley visited Mr Watt at his new home and spoke to him about how he’s enjoying living there.

Douglas Watt said: “My son moved out of our home into his own place, so I had been looking to downsize and was delighted to be offered this flat. It has a fantastic layout and you can see it’s really high quality. Most of my family live on this side of the authority, so it’s a lovely place to live and I really see it as my home for life.

“I’m looking forward to seeing all my new neighbours move in across the coming weeks and months, whether its families or individuals like myself - everyone I’ve met so far has been lovely. I’d like to pass on my thanks to everyone I dealt with from the council’s housing service; it was the dream team! Every one of them has been true to their word and they’ve been absolutely fabulous, from the point I was told I’d been allocated the flat, to moving in - I couldn’t have asked for a better service.”

Housing and environment convener, Councillor Danny Devlin, said: “I am delighted that we’re going to provide people with such high-quality flats and houses. East Renfrewshire continues to be an extremely popular place to live, and we know that more people than ever are in need of a permanent place to call home, so it’s extremely important that we do all we can to create more social housing in the area. This development reflects our ongoing commitment to the people of East Renfrewshire and I commend Cala Homes (West) for the work undertaken here in Newton Mearns.”

Council leader Owen O’Donnell added: “It was great to visit Mr Watt and see how pleased he is with his new home; these are quality, modern properties from Cala Homes (West). With a state-of-the-art primary school at the heart of Maidenhill, I’m sure that our tenants will be very happy to move in and will play their part in building this community.”

Gillian Hessett, land manager at Cala Homes (West), added: “We’re proud to deliver these brand-new homes to East Renfrewshire residents. Maidenhill is a landmark development for us, and we believe it’s important not just to create new homes with high specifications but to play a part in delivering a fantastic new community. The creation of 105 affordable homes in Newton Mearns was a fundamental part of our masterplan at this popular location and we’re delighted to turn this vision into a reality as we watch residents settle.”