Scottish house builder Springfield Properties has inked its first major housing agreement with SSEN Transmission to deliver nearly 300 homes for workers building Scotland’s next generation of energy infrastructure.

The AIM-listed house builder will roll out 293 homes across six sites in Highland, Moray and Aberdeenshire, with SSEN Transmission set to lease the units for an initial four-year period to house crews delivering a vast grid-upgrade programme.

Under the initial agreement, Springfield will carry out enabling works and open up the sites with SSEN footing the bill.

A second agreement covering the full build-and-lease phase is expected shortly, with homes delivered on a phased basis over the next three years.

Once the four-year lease ends, Springfield will then look at its option for returning the homes to private sale, private rental or affordable housing.

The deal is part of SSEN Transmission’s “housing legacy” programme, aimed at ensuring energy upgrade projects leave behind permanent community benefit rather than only temporary workforce accommodation.

Springfield said it is in live discussions with SSEN and other major infrastructure operators about rolling out similar worker-housing agreements across the North of Scotland.