A new £1.67m housing development has been officially opened in Lauder in the Scottish Borders.

The development has been built on the site of the former Lauder Primary School, which has lain empty since 2009 when a new school was constructed.

Named 'Old School Place', the development by Eildon Housing Association consists of 12 three-bedroom properties. Nine of the family homes have been made available for affordable rent, with the remaining three for mid-market rent. They have been designed using whinstone from the former school building, as well as the date stone which has been used by the developer as a key feature.

Commenting on the opening, Councillor David Parker, Leader of Scottish Borders Council, said: "It is tremendous that Eildon Housing have delivered this fantastic new development in Lauder. Old School Place was an important partnership project to deliver much needed family homes in the Lauder area and the scheme has already been extremely successful in terms of its design and the quality of the accommodation provided.

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"Eildon Housing Association continues to provide high quality homes throughout the Borders and SBC was pleased that we were able to support the fantastic work of Eildon in all that they do. I hope that in other sites in the Scottish Borders we will be able to work with Eildon again in the near future so that other communities can benefit in the same way that Lauder has in the development of Old School Place."

Nile Istephan, Chief Executive of Eildon Housing Association, added: "By working in partnership with the Scottish Government and Scottish Borders Council Eildon have been able to continue to provide high quality new homes for the Borders, even in times of recession.

"As well as being a very striking new development, Old School Place represents an innovation in the Borders in that it is the first development to be built for a mixture of social and mid-market rented homes in this pressured housing market."

Already, the project has received a 'Commended Award' at the Homes for Scotland Awards 2014, as well as being shortlisted for a Herald Property Award.

The development has been funded by contributions from the Scottish Government, Scottish Borders Council and Eildon Housing Association.

(JP/IT)