A COMMUNITY council is planning to remain neutral over rival plans for housing developments in Dirleton.

Muir Homes and TMS Planning displayed plans for 36 homes off the village’s Foreshot Terrace at an exhibition this month.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, CALA Management Ltd revealed plans for “approximately 30” homes on land at Castlemains Farm, off the village’s Station Road.

Tom Drysdale, vice-chairman of Gullane Area Community Council, told the Courier they would be encouraging individuals to make their views known on the plans to the local authority.

He said: “Both Dirleton Village Association and Gullane Area Community Council are really taking a neutral view.

“We feel it is not appropriate to have both sites developed. Each site has 36 houses proposed and we take the view that 72 would be too much.

“It would add a quarter to the village and village infrastructure is not capable of taking that. The school does not have enough places and there is no village shop.”

Muir Homes revealed its plans at The Open Arms this month, with more than 50 members of the public attending the exhibition.

Ten of the 36 homes would be “affordable housing units” with two and three bedroom terraced homes.

The remaining houses would then be made up of three, four and five-bedroom detached homes.

A spokesman for Muir Homes said: “The event was well attended, with more than 50 local people turning up. We distributed questionnaires on the proposals which they took away.

“When we get these back we will be better able to gauge response from the local public but we are glad that so many people came along.”