Construction begins on 28 mid-market rent homes in Easthouses

The event on Wednesday 18th February, attended by representatives from both McTaggart Construction and Melville, signals the beginning of a significant new chapter for one of Midlothian’s most actively regenerated neighbourhoods.

The development will deliver 28 mid-market rent homes through Melville’s Ironmills subsidiary, comprising a thoughtfully designed mix of terraced houses, cottage flats, and a flatted block. All homes will be built to high standards of sustainability and accessibility, reflecting the shared commitment of both organisations to creating quality housing that serves the real needs of the local community.

John Allan, construction director at McTaggart Construction, said: “It’s great to be breaking ground on this development. The former Newbattle High School site has already seen tremendous investment in recent years, and these 28 homes will be a meaningful addition to the work that’s already been done to transform this area. We’re looking forward to delivering homes that the community can be genuinely proud of.”

“This is a key milestone for Melville and for the wider Easthouses community,” said Neil Edgar, Melville’s development manager. “We know there’s a great deal of demand for mid-market rent homes, and these 28 properties, the first built for our Ironmills subsidiary in nearly 15 years, will provide high-quality, energy-efficient housing in a location that has already seen significant regeneration.

“We’re pleased to be working in partnership with McTaggart Construction to help deliver homes that meet local needs and support the long-term future of the area.”

As construction gets underway, McTaggart Construction will be working closely with nearby Easthouses Primary School to deliver community benefit activities throughout the project. The school will benefit from McTaggart’s commitment to community engagement, with opportunities for educational site visits, career talks, and hands-on learning experiences about construction and the built environment.

The team will maintain close liaison with the school to ensure construction activities are managed sensitively while creating meaningful opportunities for pupils to learn about the development taking shape.

The Easthouses development forms part of the wider regeneration of the former Newbattle High School grounds, which has already seen the delivery of 90 Passivhaus social homes and the new Easthouses Primary School. McTaggart’s 28 homes will complete this transformation, bringing the site fully to life as a thriving, mixed community.

Throughout the construction phase, the project will also deliver structured employment and training opportunities, with targeted recruitment strategies and collaboration with local employability partners to maximise skills development outcomes for the area. Both McTaggart Construction and Melville remain committed to contributing meaningfully to the broader Newbattle community beyond the construction works themselves.

The contract was awarded through the Scottish Procurement Alliance’s H2 New Build Housing framework, and the wider project team includes Hardies Chartered Surveyors, Smith Scott Mullan architects, and Bayne Stevenson as civil and structural engineers.