-Leading building and construction firm partners with East Lothian Council to start work on 28 new energy-efficient homes-

The JR Group, one of Scotland’s leading building and construction firms, has started work on a milestone housing project for East Lothian Council, marking the business’ first project in the region.

The development of 28 new council homes, comprising 24 flats and four homes, located in Tranent, will include a mix of mainstream and specialised housing to meet the needs of a wide section of the community.

Located off the town’s Church Street on the grounds of the former Fa’side Lodge Nursing Home, the development will be built by The JR Group to high environmental standards set by the Council and will be fully electric with zero gas supply installed, to provide energy efficiencies for residents and support climate change measures.

Along with specialist divisions of The JR Group, other partners include: East Lothian Council, Assist Architects and David Narro Associates, who will help deliver this highly anticipated town centre development.

Andrew Dallas, Project Director for The JR Group, said: “This is our first project in East Lothian, so it is great to be partnering with East Lothian Council to deliver such a varied and diverse scheme as our first venture in the region.

“The design of the development is very much in-keeping with the general character of the area and we have worked with our client to ensure the homes are light, modern, energy-efficient and fit for the future.

“We are thrilled to help bring this area back into use and work with the Council to deliver much-needed housing to the centre of town. We look forward to progressing this development in the coming weeks and months.”

East Lothian Council’s Cabinet Spokesperson for Housing and Property Maintenance, Councillor Andy Forrest, said: “This is an important development for Tranent and I’m particularly pleased that the properties have been designed to complement the conservation area and that there will be a number of more specialist homes which will meet the needs of specific client groups identified within our Local Housing Strategy.”