The land near the top of Church Street became available for development following the demolition of the Fa’side Lodge care home in 2016. East Lothian Council then worked with partners, including the Scottish Government, to identify the best use of the site.

The result is 10 much-needed new one-bedroom flats as well as four 2-bedroom flats and a wheelchair accessible bungalow for council rent. In addition, 13 properties will be leased to East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership for people with support needs – a mix of one and two-bedroom flats, cottage flats and bungalows – all built by The JR Group.

The Scottish Government Affordable Housing Supply Programme supported the development with grant funding of £2.621 million for the 28-unit development, which has been built to very high standards, including future-proofing features such as being digitally enabled, electric vehicle infrastructure and points, automatic fire suppression systems and zero direct emissions heating.

The site has been an important one in Tranent life for centuries, lately as the location of the Fa’side Lodge care home, which was built in the 1970s, as well as a church and GP surgery. Before that, it housed the much-loved Tranent Public School, which was built in 1877 but was sadly destroyed by fire in 1958. It is believed that housing had been on the site since the early 17th century, and it was known as Pigeon Square up to the mid-1800s, before being demolished ahead of the school construction.

Councillor Andy Forrest, East Lothian Council spokesperson for Housing and Property Maintenance, said: “There has been a huge amount of local interest in this development, as it sits in an important site in Tranent town centre. I’m delighted that we have been able to deliver these high-quality homes for council tenants and for those needing assisted living facilities.

“One-bedroom properties are in huge demand from many people on our housing waiting list so the fact we have taken ownership of 10 of them on this site alone is good news – and the accessible properties will no doubt make a huge difference to the lives of tenants.

“Developments like these, and the difference they make, highlight how important it is for us to carry on with our affordable housing programme, delivering new build houses and flats and tying in with our Local Housing Strategy which aims to deliver as much affordable housing as we can.”

David Hood, head of operations for ELHSCP, added: “We are thrilled to have such dedicated, purpose-built residences in East Lothian. These facilities support the delivery of a number of Integration Joint Board strategic objectives, specifically assisting people to live independently in their own homes, with the added benefit of being able to provide support onsite if and when they require it. We are incredibly grateful to East Lothian Council and the JR Group for their engagement throughout this development.”

Andrew Dallas, projects director at The JR Group, said: “We worked with East Lothian Council to bring its vision for the site to life and we’re delighted to see its completion, ready to welcome new tenants to their new homes. This is our first project in the area and it was a pleasure help repurpose this prominent location.

“It is a fantastic example of a pocket of land which has been transformed, while ensuring it is in-keeping with its surroundings, to help East Lothian Council meet the objectives in its Local Housing Strategy and the requirement for more high-quality housing in order to meet demand.”