The first tenants have been handed the keys to their brand new homes at Station Drive in Duns, which have been built by Hart Builders for Berwickshire Housing Association (BHA).

Designed by architects Smith Scott Mullan, the 16 properties are a mix of 12 three-bedroom family homes and four one-bedroom flats.

The new homes are modern, spacious and energy efficient, having been built with very high standards of insulation, which will significantly reduce heating bills for tenants and help to tackle the issue of fuel poverty.

This new development is the first phase of BHA’s plans to build almost 100 new homes by the end of 2020. Hart Builders is currently on site constructing 30 new homes at Acredale in Eyemouth, which are due for completion in autumn 2018. These will consist of four one-bedroom homes, 13 two-bedroom homes and 13 three-bedroom homes, two of which will be wheelchair adapted.

Having just received planning approval, work will also begin in early 2018 on 25 one to four-bedroom new homes at Chirnside. A further 28 one to three-bedroom homes in Duns will go on site in autumn 2018.

Helen Forsyth, chief executive of Berwickshire Housing Association, said: “For many years demand for housing has been high in Berwickshire, with significantly more people looking for an affordable home to rent than we have had available – and that is a situation we, along with the Scottish Government, are determined to address. As expected, the demand for these properties in Duns has been strong, and all were pre-allocated before they were complete. The homes look fantastic and have been built to a very high standard. We hope our new tenants will be very happy in their new homes.

“As well as the new homes we plan to build over the next few years, income from our community wind farm will also give us a real opportunity to grow our housing stock over the longer term, and finally start to meet the huge demand for high quality affordable housing in our area.”