Elected Members of the Scottish Borders Council have approved plans to prepare a final business case for a new affordable homes development.

Following a meeting of the Council in Kelso, the construction of up to 200 new homes has moved one step closer.

Council staff will now develop the business case for a council-led house building programme with the Scottish Futures Trust. The Trust is an independent company set up by the Scottish Government to deliver value for money across public infrastructure investment.

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The programme is intended to provide an additional 200 homes to complement the planned delivery of affordable housing by registered social landlords, already agreed in the Council's Strategic Housing Investment Programme and Strategic Local Programme.

This further programme would also help the local authority to meet targets set in both the Local Housing Strategy 2012-2017 and the Council Administration's 'Ambitious for the Borders' partnership agreement.

The proposal for the project is based upon the Council borrowing from the Public Loans Work Board to support the delivery of additional new homes for affordable rent using a National Housing Trust (NHT) council variant model.

If approved, this builds upon the 58 homes already delivered using the NHT at Balnakiel in Galashiels, and Innerleithen.

(JP/CD)