A small, and socially distanced event, was held at the new Piriebank development, marking the handover of 12 social rented properties from JR Construction to Almond HA.

John Davidson, CEO of Almond HA, said: “There have been significant challenges this year but with almost £1 million grant funding from the Scottish Government, we were delighted to work with JR Construction to see these 12 new homes occupied in time for Christmas.”

Executive councillor for services for the community George Paul said: “The council along with Almond Housing Association and other local partners have ambitious plans to increase the number of high quality, affordable homes available in West Lothian. The new homes delivered by Almond Housing Association represent another step on the way to delivering on that ambition.”

With COVID-19 restrictions in place from March, Almond HA worked closely with partners to get these homes ready for the festive season.

Housing minister Kevin Stewart said: “We want everyone to have a safe, warm place to live that meets their needs. These 12 new homes for social rent, supported by nearly £1m of Scottish Government funding, will support this community and make a real and lasting difference to the lives of the new residents.

“We have made a record investment of more than £3.5 billion in affordable housing over this Parliamentary term, and we rely on the hard work and support of housing associations such as Almond to deliver quality developments like this one to help us achieve our ambitious target.

“Developments like this are also a testament to the strong partnership at national and local level between Almond HA, West Lothian Council and the Scottish Government.”