A NEW 110-home housing development in a Borders town has been rubber-stamped by a council planning committee.

Edinburgh-based Whiteburn Projects was given the green light to build the homes in a countryside setting on land accessed from Stow Road at Allanbank, north of Lauder at a meeting on Monday (June 5).

Members of the council’s Planning and Building Standards Committee gave their unanimous backing to the 110-home development.

Hawick and Denholm ward councillor Neil Richards said: “I think this is a very exciting development. I am very glad to hear of the connection with the Innerleithen Design Award because that was an exceptional estate, if this goes anywhere near that then the people of Lauder will be well served by a very good development.”

Tweeddale East councillor Marshall Douglas agreed, adding: “The development in Innerleithen was obviously an award-winning development and if it’s along those lines then the people of Lauder have a lot to look forward to.”

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Councillor Eric Small, who represents Tweeddale West, said: “I think this is a good addition to housing within the whole of the Borders, especially Lauder. What I like is the mixed variety of houses, this will give the opportunity for elderly people in the area to downsize and get smaller homes. I’m fully supportive.”

The unoccupied land is located adjacent to the B6362 Stow Road, close to the Allanbank Gardens housing estate.

It is proposed that a new access road would be provided on Stow Road to serve the major development.

Of the properties, 27 (25 per cent), would be affordable, in accordance with the council’s housing plan.

The plan is for the development of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes to “meet local demand and alleviate the shortfall in the supply of housing land in the Borders”.

The developer was also responsible for the award-winning Caerlee Mill development in Innerleithen.