In Gorebridge, a site once cleared of homes is approaching a very different moment. New housing at Newbyres is now nearing completion, marking the latest chapter in a story that has unfolded over more than a decade.
Councillors from Gorebridge and Bonnyrigg recently visited the development alongside the Cabinet Member for Housing at Midlothian Council, Councillor Stuart McKenzie, as work continues on what is now described as a flagship green housing project.
A development undone
The original Newbyres homes were built in the late 2000s on land shaped by Midlothian’s industrial past. By 2014, concerns began to emerge when abnormal levels of carbon dioxide were detected within a number of properties.
The source was traced to ground conditions linked to historic mining activity beneath the site. Residents were rehoused as a precaution while investigations were carried out. What followed was a difficult conclusion. The homes could not be made sufficiently safe through remedial works alone.
In 2016, 64 council houses were demolished. Streets that had been occupied only a few years earlier were cleared, leaving a visible gap in the community and a long process of reassessment ahead.
Reworking the ground
The years that followed were defined less by construction and more by careful preparation. Detailed investigations were undertaken to better understand the site and to design a system that would prevent ground gases from entering future homes.
This work included the introduction of advanced gas defence measures beneath new buildings, along with updated design standards and verification processes. Only once these measures were in place could construction begin again.
Building again at Newbyres
Today, the site is being redeveloped by Cruden Group, with 75 new homes taking shape. The £17.5 million project includes a mix of flats, cottage flats and houses, alongside 12 extra care properties, one bariatric home and a fully wheelchair accessible four bedroom house designed for six people.
Completion is expected in the coming months.
All homes will feature Air Source Heat Pumps, supported by enhanced insulation and other energy saving technologies. These measures are intended to reduce carbon emissions and lower energy costs for residents while contributing to wider net zero ambitions.
Councillor Stuart McKenzie said the transformation reflects sustained effort over many years.
He described the site as having moved from a distressing period for tenants and the council to a forward looking development of safe, warm and energy efficient homes, adding that the project is close to completion and will deliver high quality housing with lower energy bills.
A wider programme in Bonnyrigg
The visit also included a tour of a second development at Polton Street in Bonnyrigg, where Ogilvie Construction is delivering 46 extra care flats built to Passivhaus standards.
The development forms part of a wider project that includes a new 40 bed intermediate care complex to replace Highbank Care Home in Dalkeith, along with a day care unit and community wellbeing space for the Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership.
Construction at the Bonnyrigg site is expected to complete in summer 2026.
Full circle
At Newbyres, the near completion of new homes represents a return to a site that has already seen one generation of housing come and go.
Where homes once had to be removed, new ones are now rising with additional safeguards and modern standards. The result is a development that reflects both the realities of the ground beneath it and the expectations of housing today.
For Gorebridge, it is a quiet but significant moment. A place that was once emptied is, at last, being made ready for residents again.
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