ALMOST 300 new homes could be created in Gullane after four sites were earmarked for potential development by councillors..

Councillors met in The Brunton, Musselburgh, last week, with members of the ruling Labour-Tory coalition, plus an independent, voting to back a ‘compact growth’ development strategy that will see the majority of 10,000 new homes built in the west of the county.

However, other developments are pencilled in for throughout the rest of East Lothian, including four in Gullane at the former Fire College, Saltcoats, to the south of the village, and Fenton Gait East and Fenton Gait South.

Land at Saltcoats is allocated for a residential development of about 130 homes and would also allow for the expansion of the primary school campus.

A document on the plans states: “This site allows for a southern expansion of the settlement, and for provision of expanded education and open space facilities.

“Development to the south of the existing housing areas here would mirror the settlement pattern to the north of High Street. Land to the west of this allocation could provide for an expansion of the existing open space and primary school.

“Access to the housing site may be taken from the east, and pedestrian links provided from the site’s northern boundary to the existing urban area, including to the open space and primary school.”

At the meeting in Musselburgh, ward councillor Tim Day outlined his concerns about expansion in the village.

He said: “I do have serious concerns about the allocation of Saltcoats field over and above the allocation of the Fire College and smaller sites; the Main Issues Report [a precursor to the Local Development Plan decided on at the meeting] drew out significant opposition to this site and we do not seem to have adequately addressed those concerns.”

Mr Day explained it was “inevitable” that some of the requirement for 10,000 homes would be away from the west of the county. He said: “I know that there was significant objection in response to the Main Issues Report which contained the Saltcoats allocation and I was deeply concerned that these concerns were not addressed within the new Local Development Plan (LDP).

“Whilst I supported the objections, there was real pressure to approve the new LDP, otherwise we would have lost control of the planning system and would have been subject to planning by appeal, which would have potentially led to even more unwanted development.”

The other main site in the village would see the development of the former Gullane Fire College, which shut its doors on March 13. About 100 homes could be created on the site, with a planning application already submitted for planning permission in principle for a residential development on the site.

Two smaller sites, at Fenton Gait East and Fenton Gait South, are also earmarked for about 65 homes in total.

Tom Drysdale, vice-chairman of Gullane Area Community Council, said: “We have accepted that it is reasonable to develop on the Fire College site. We are, however, concerned about access arrangements there and were reflecting the views of Gullane that perhaps there should be some perhaps modest commercial development on the sites.”

Mr Drysdale felt the idea of 130 homes at Saltcoats was too big and noted when all the sites were tallied together it would take the potential number of homes to about 300.