A DEVELOPMENT of 140 apartments proposed for the “eyesore” former Tesco site in Musselburgh town centre is to reflect the area’s industrial heritage.

Livingston-based Dundas Estates & Development is about three weeks away from submitting a detailed plan to East Lothian Council for the new housing scheme – a £7.5 to £8 million investment on land where the former Brunton Wire Works used to stand.

The plans were unveiled to members of Musselburgh and Inveresk Community Council at their meeting last week.

Bruce Dunlop, managing director of Dundas, said that the company had been involved with the Inveresk Road site for 15 years.

READ MORE: Developers hope to lodge 140 homes plan soon

He said: “There have been numerous planning consents granted at different times.

“The developments of both the new Tesco store, which has been open since 2010, and the primary care resource centre took place on the original land we bought and part of the transaction was the swapping of the land, so when the new Tesco opened up we took ownership of the old Tesco store.”

Part of the site was also sold to East Lothian Council for a new care home, which has not yet been built.

Mr Dunlop said that Dundas had appointed Michael Laird Architects, which he said was “synonymous with high-quality architecture” in Edinburgh.

Dundas already has two developments in Dunbar, one with 29 flats at Belhaven Road, and another with 20 houses at Station Road.

There is existing planning consent in place at the Musselburgh site for 140 flats, including 11 affordable homes. The detailed plan showed eight buildings of three, four, five and six storeys, which would be built with materials such as brick to reflect the site’s industrial heritage.

The higher blocks of the development, probably with three bedrooms, would look out to the River Esk, fronting on to Mall Avenue. There would also be two and one-bedroom apartments.

Mr Dunlop described the new apartments, some of which would have balconies and terraces, as “an inward looking development with parking on the outside”.

He said the ground-floor apartments would give families small private gardens and there would also be green areas for common use in the development. There would be cycle space and storage for bins.

The project would result in between 40 and 50 temporary jobs.

Community council chairwoman Irene Tait said: “The site has been vacant for some time and it looks a bit rundown. It needs something because it is a bit of an eyesore but I’m not sure I like the six storeys.”

Mr Dunlop said: “That is all based on the original consent. It is because of the height of the adjacent buildings and the height of what was historically on the site. It is a focal town centre site and, because of that, it commands quite a high density.

“We have decided to fragment it into eight separate buildings. Previously it was either three or four buildings. It is really to try and get the best use of the sensation of space. The idea is to create light between the buildings.”

Margaret Stewart, community council secretary, highlighted road traffic concerns with the closeness of Musselburgh Grammar School.

Mr Dunlop later said the company would be working carefully with the council’s transportation department to ensure the “right solution” in addressing development.