A VACANT farmhouse will be flattened and four new homes built in its place if plans submitted to Scottish Borders Council are agreed.

The application seeks demolition of a vacant dwelling house, agricultural barns and outbuildings, which have fallen into disrepair, and the construction of four new properties at Nether Howden in the village of Oxton.

A report with the application, from Galashiels-based Ferguson Planning, states: “The proposed development comprises the erection of four new dwellings and would restore an active residential use to a site that is currently uninhabitable.

“Within the context of a declared housing emergency in Scotland, the ability to restore an active residential use to a site that is currently uninhabitable, providing additional housing in an appropriate and desirable location, is considered to be a highly valuable opportunity of great community benefit.”