THE first new affordable homes on an estate purchased by Scottish Borders Council for almost £10m four years ago will not now be built before 2029, it has emerged.

The Lowood Estate near Melrose is earmarked for a mixed development in the council’s local development plan, including housing and industrial use.

It is a long-term development that was always expected to take decades to complete.

However, it had been hoped that 30 affordable units would be completed in 2024/25 with 25 more becoming available in 2025/26.

Now, the latest delayed timetable will mean at least a further five-year wait before the first tenancies are allocated.

According to the latest strategic housing investment plan (SHIP) published by the council, the first phase of 30 units of social housing – to be constructed for Eildon Housing Association – will now start in 2029/30 with completion ‘to be programmed’.

Members of the council’s Executive Committee approved the latest SHIP for 2025 to 2030 when they met last week.

A report from Nuala McKinlay, the local authority’s director of corporate governance, revealed a number of factors had resulted in housing targets being lowered.

The aim is to deliver more than 1,000 new affordable homes over the next five years, but the report said that target was “very ambitious”.

“A more realistic figure would be 455, or around 90-100 new affordable homes per year,” the report states.

Ms McKinlay said the council was continuing to lobby the Scottish Government for an increase in funding.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As part of our almost £600 million of investment in the affordable housing supply programme this year, we are making available more than £12 million in the Scottish Borders taking our investment since 2021 to more than £52 million.

“We look forward to receiving information on the plans for the Lowood site when Scottish Borders Council submits their new strategic housing investment plan which is due to be finalised this month.”