East Lothian Planning Committee met on Wednesday 25 June and discussed various applications including plans for a local centre at Blindwells and 60 new Council homes in Wallyford
Planning permission in principle was granted in 2018 for a new settlement at Blindwells. Since then, various detailed applications have been approved, a number of new homes have been built and are now occupied and a new primary school is due to open for this year’s autumn term.
The current application from Hargreaves Services Ltd is for a local centre comprising 65 flats, employment units, retail units, gym, nursery, wellbeing facility and supermarket. This constitutes part of the town centre area approved within the planning permission in principle granted in 2018. Of the 65 flats, 11 will be for private sale and 54 will be affordable housing including 12 ‘later living’ homes. The high street will be pedestrianised with a public car park to the west of the town centre served by a loop road which will include bus stops and taxi pickup and drop off points.
No public objections were received to the application, which was approved unanimously following a debate.
The redevelopment of the former Wallyford Primary School, to form 24 houses and 36 flats – all of which will be for rent by East Lothian Council, was approved by Planning Committee.
As the applicant for the site, East Lothian Council had carried out community consultation on the plans, with the majority of those who took part supporting the redevelopment.
The houses will be a mix of six semi-detached and 18 terraced two-storey buildings, ranging from two to four bedrooms. The 36 flats in three, four-storey L-shaped buildings will be one and two bedrooms with six of the one bedroom flats being ground floor and accessible.
Five representations were received with four objecting to the plans, stating reasons including the flats potentially being intrusive to the surrounding area plus pressure on local services. Following a debate councillors voted unanimously to approve the application.
Two applications were heard relating to the demolition of the existing building at 34 Dirleton Avenue, North Berwick and the erection of 14 flats in its place. Both applications were heard at Planning Committee on 4 March 2025 and members voted against officers’ recommendations to refuse consent. However, before consent for the demolition of the building and the erection of the new flats could be granted, a bat survey had to take place. The reports before committee today showed two bat surveys had been completed by the applicant, Baseline Developments Ltd, and no bat roosts were discovered. Members agreed to grant planning consent for the demolition and the erection of the flats, however as Historic Environment Scotland had lodged objections to the demolition, the conservation area consent application will now be referred to Scottish Ministers for a decision.
An application for a 67-metre-high wind turbine on land west of Howden Wood, Gifford, at East Lothian Eggs Ltd, had been called off the Scheme of Delegation by Councillor McIntosh to allow for a discussion at Planning Committee. Members heard that a wind turbine of just over 34 metres in height had already received planning consent and was operational to the north of the current application site. Planners had recommended refusal of the plans due to its height and scale being intrusive and detrimental to the nature of the surrounding rural landscape. One letter of support had been received and two objections, both from the same person. Following a debate, members approved the application by seven votes to two with the additional condition that a planting screen be put in place to mitigate any disturbance from the turbine.
An application for installation of a surface water pipe on land east of Dunbar Garden Centre was postponed to a future committee meeting.
The relevant application numbers are: Blindwells, 23/01155/AMM and 21/01580/PM; Wallyford, 25/00024/PM; North Berwick, 24/01050/P and 24/01051/CAC; Gifford, 24/01091/P and Dunbar, 24/01004/P.