Plans to provide new council housing in East Lothian have received a funding boost from the Scottish Government.

East Lothian Council is to receive £2.6million of the £25million fund available from the government to kickstart local authority housing in Scotland.

The funding will be used to subsidise the building of 105 council houses at two development sites in Macmerry and Dunbar.

Plans are for 35 units at Brierbush Road, Macmerry, with work to begin in May. The houses are to be built by local construction company Hart Builders who won the £3.8million contract following a competitive tender.

Work is expected to begin on the 70 units at Brunt Court in Dunbar at the end of the summer.

Councillor Stuart Currie said in a statement: "We're delighted at this award. It will support us to deliver over 100 new council houses and also keep our construction industry building during the economic downturn.

"The award for East Lothian is the largest in Scotland and reflects the acute challenges that we face caused by low stock turnover, high land prices and high demand for housing.

"Attracting additional funding like this allows us to make the money that we have go further."

The local authority has a housing stock of nearly 8,100 properties with around 5,500 people currently on its housing list.