This latest phase of a larger 56-home, £7.7 million project, was made possible thanks to Scottish Government funding of £4.25m and will be delivered by Melville alongside Taylor Wimpey.

Made up of a mix of one and two-bedroom flats, as well as larger two and three-bedroom houses, the new social rented homes will be built at Taylor Wimpey’s Pentland Green development on the edge of Bilston, where demand for affordable housing is especially high.

Building work on the latest properties is scheduled to take place over the next 18 months with the last of the homes, which will all be fitted with solar PV panels, expected to be handed over in spring 2023.

Cabinet secretary Shona Robison said: “We want everyone to have a safe, warm affordable home that meets their needs. These 56 new homes for social rent, supported by £4.25 million of Scottish Government funding, will support the local community and make a real and lasting difference to the lives of the new residents.

“We are making a record investment in affordable housing, having committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 with at least 70% available for social rent. I’d like to thank Melville for helping us meet this ambitious target with this new development, which is a testament to the strong partnership at national and local level between the housing association, Midlothian Council, Taylor Wimpey and the Scottish Government.”

“We are delighted to be bringing these additional 30 high-quality homes to Midlothian, and we are grateful to the Scottish Government and Midlothian Council for their assistance in making it possible,” said David Bond, vice chair of Melville Housing.

“Midlothian is Scotland’s fastest growing region and we, like many of our colleagues across the social housing sector, are facing a number of challenges including rising costs and an acute shortage of affordable homes. There’s no question that delivering the homes we need will be tough however projects like this show what can be achieved working in partnership and we will do everything we can over the coming years to meet the needs of our growing communities.”

This latest phase follows the successful completion of a £3.53m first phase at Taylor Wimpey’s Pentland Green development which this year delivered 26 affordable homes.

Pauline Mills, land and planning director for Taylor Wimpey East Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to be working once again with Melville Housing Association in order to deliver much needed affordable housing in the Midlothian area. We’ve enjoyed a successful partnership with Melville for around 12 years to deliver a wide range of affordable homes across the Midlothian area, which includes 26 properties in our first phase here in Bilston.

“This announcement signals another great opportunity for our organisations to work together successfully. As one of the largest housebuilders in the UK, we are committed to building more than homes and making sure that we add social, economic and environmental value to the wider communities that we operate in.”