Council approves 'welcome' plans for affordable homes on former mill site

A new housing development has been approved on the site of what was once one of the biggest employers in Selkirk.

The Heather Mills shut in 2009 after almost 150 years and was badly damaged by fire about a decade later - it was subsequently demolished.

Now Scottish Borders Housing Association (SBHA) has received approval to build 59 affordable homes on the site.

Chief executive Julia Mulloy said: "Scotland is facing a housing emergency, and developments like this are part of the solution."

Scottish Borders Council declared a housing emergency more than two years ago.

It came after a report highlighted the "significant challenges" the local authority was facing in ensuring people had access to homes which met their needs.

The Local Democracy Service reported at the time that the number of applications for social housing properties had doubled in five years – with SBHA receiving 104 bids for just five new homes at its latest development in Kelso.

SBC's planning committee councillor Sandy Scott told a meeting on Monday that the plans at Heather Mills constituted a "very welcome and exciting application".

"We have a housing emergency," he said.

"The plan is to build 9,000 new homes in the next 10 years across the Scottish Borders and this fits that."

The committee was told there were some concerns about the loss of trees and increase in traffic.

However, a planning report stated that "on balance" the proposals were considered acceptable.

Councillors agreed and gave the Whinfield Road project the all clear.