Monday July 7th 2025
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
A shortlist of potential sites for thousands of new homes has been backed by Midlothian councillors with large scale developments included in the proposals.
A report to elected members last month provided an updated shortlist of potential sites to help the council meet its target of having land available for 8,851 new homes in the next two years.
While the current estimate suggests the land allocation is less than 2,000 units short of the required amount, the shortlist was taken from an initial list of 160 sites which could provide more than 16,000 homes in the future.
Added to the shortlist ahead of the meeting were land at Melville Grange, near Dalkeith which could provide 900 new homes, land at Damhead for 400 new homes, a 300-unit site at Kippielaw, Easthouses and a potential 250 new homes at Barleyknowe, Gorebridge.
A report to councillors said the shortlist of potential housing supply sites had been whittled down through workshops held in March, April and a week before last month’s meeting.
It said: “It is important to note that a site which is shortlisted for further assessment is not automatically allocated or put forward in the proposed plan – following further assessment the council will need to select those sites it wishes to take forward to meet its requirements from the shortlisted sites.”
A meeting of the council’s planning committee approved the shortlist with the exception of one site at St Davids in Newtongrange which proposed up to 15 new homes.
Councillor Kelly Drummond raised concern that while six homes had already been approved on the land at the church hall site the only way to put another nine in would be to use the site currently used by the local library.
She told the meeting: “I don’t understand how you can allocate this for housing when it is actually public space and is occupied. It hasn’t been assigned for closure so how can it be allocated for housing?”
The committee agreed to remove it from the shortlist but approved all other sites the full list of which is available on the council website.
You can read the report presented to the meeting HERE.
Tweet Share on Facebook
