TWO developments in the village of Gullane have been granted planning permission after strong positive verdicts at a recent planning committee.
Cala Homes’ Saltcoats and Fenton Gait East sites have both been earmarked as preferred development sites throughout East Lothian Council’s Local Development Plan (LDP) process.
In its presentation to councillors, the developer acknowledged that the development of more than 300 new homes in Gullane represents a 27 per cent increase in the total number of homes in the village.
Despite this, the scale of development proposed is proportionate with other allocations and considerably less than some. North Berwick is set to experience a similar 27 per cent growth, while Longniddry is proposed to grow by 42 per cent. Significant growth of 49 per cent and 36 per cent is also being promoted at Musselburgh and Haddington respectively.
Tony Thomas, director of APT Planning and Development, said: “In sticking to its considered wider strategy to deliver new homes, the decisions to grant approval is a success for the regional democratic system and the wider county on the whole.
“As East Lothian Council is challenged with delivering over 10,000 new homes, these developments form a crucial part of the highly scrutinised and locally determined LDP process – and ensure that Gullane is set to take a fair share of new homes.
“Refusal could have resulted in East Lothian not being able to meet its housing supply targets, leaving the authority vulnerable to hostile planning applications succeeding through the planning appeals process.
“There have been a number of high-profile examples of this in East Lothian and this outcome would be potentially damaging to other communities in the region.
“Approval keeps the LDP on track and ensures that Cala can deliver two sustainable and high-quality developments in a highly desirable part of the county.”
Fenton Gait is situated on farming land on the eastern edge of the town and has been identified for 48 new homes. A further 150 homes will be built at Saltcoats Field on the south-eastern edge of Gullane.
Cala Homes, which has its national head office in Edinburgh, has had a long association with the coastal villages and towns in East Lothian, including current developments in North Berwick, and has previously developed in Gullane.
The construction firm faced resistance from some local residents when they initially unveiled their intention to launch formal planning applications for the two sites in Gullane, which will see the population of the village increase by around a third.
Campaign group Gullane in Opposition to Over-development were vocal about their concerns the construction of new homes on the sites would put pressure local services such as schools, transport, hospitals and GP surgeries.
Despite a slight delay in commencement of demolition works due to a delay in safe termination of the telecommunication mast and associate services, the first homes are on track to be delivered by summer 2018.
Approval for these sites comes two months after the go-ahead was given for Cala Homes to develop Gullane’s former Fire Service Training College – which is being sensitively restored and augmented to provide 125 new homes.
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