A bid to bring two new apartment blocks to the gateway of Blindwells has taken a major step forward as developers struck a deal with Hadden Homes.

Blindwells is slated to be East Lothian's 'new town' with plans for 1,600 homes, a primary school and a range of services coming to the site.

The land is being being developed by Hargreaves Land, which aims to deliver a new community to East Lothian with its own dedicated town centre and services.

Numerous housing developers have already built homes on the former opencast coal mine site that lies situated between Tranent, Prestonpans and Cockenzie and Port Seton by the Bankton Junction of the A1.

This latest transaction is with Hadden Homes who intend to deliver two new apartment blocks at the entrance to the site.

The 0.4-acre plot, sits in a prominent location at the edge of the western boundary of the Blindwells development scheme and is designed for two 23 private apartments with appropriate services and amenities across three and four storeys.

Incorporating traditional features alongside contemporary design and Juliet-style balconies to reflect the needs of modern living, the one and two bedroomed apartments will be built for private sale or let and are designed for homeowners of all ages.

Part of the Aberuthven-based Hadden Group, Hadden Homes will be submitting a formal planning application at the end of June.

If the project gets the green light, onsite construction work is expected to follow in summer 2023.

Thomas Devlin, general manager of Hadden Homes, said: “We’re delighted to be in the vanguard of development at Blindwells, working with Hargreaves to create the new homes people want. With their prominence and location, the apartment blocks represent an important gateway development for us, showcasing the quality of our properties and brand at one of Scotland’s most prestigious development sites.”

Hargreaves Land is the developer behind the regeneration of Blindwells, which will see 1,600 new homes eventually built along with a new primary school, shops and additional town centre facilities as part of the ambitious regeneration of one of East Lothian's former coalfields.

Jonathan Graham, senior development surveyor at Hargreaves Land, said: “We are delighted to secure this deal with Hadden for the latest sale of land at Blindwells. This is great news and another significant step forward in a regeneration story that is delivering high quality new housing here in East Lothian.”