A DECISION on plans for more than 100 new homes on the outskirts of East Linton has been taken out of the hands of the county’s councillors.

Plans for 93 houses and a further 20 flats at Orchardfield, to the west of the village, were lodged with East Lothian Council in April last year.

Then in March this year the local authority’s planning committee agreed to defer a decision on Stewart Milne Homes’ proposals, to allow for the possibility of a roundabout or substantial junction improvements being carried out at the junction of the A199 and B1407.

The issue was expected to come back to a future East Lothian planning committee meeting but the developer has lodged an appeal with the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA), citing a failure to give a decision as the reason for the appeal.

A Scottish Government-appointed Reporter will now rule on the proposals – not East Lothian’s elected representatives.

Stewart Milne Homes told the Courier it was “disappointed about the significant delay” in the delivery of its housing proposals for the village.

A spokeswoman said: “In order to bring forward a firm timeline for determination of our planning application, we have reluctantly decided to appeal the non-determination of our proposals for the much-needed 113 houses and apartments, including 28 affordable homes.”

Councillor Stuart Currie had been among those highlighting the potential need for a roundabout at the entrance to the proposed site.

Concerns were raised that vehicles approaching from Pencraig Hill, to the west of the village, would have to slow down dramatically in order to turn into East Linton.

At the meeting in March, Mr Currie said: “I genuinely feel there will be a roundabout put in that road at some point.

“If it is not [done] now then it [will be] because something has happened.

“To slam on the anchors and do a left turn into East Linton is without a shadow of doubt an accident waiting to happen.”

Already there is a roundabout in place at the eastern edge of the village, where the B1377 joins the A199.

Mr Currie was this week “disappointed” in the move to take the plans to appeal on the grounds of non-determination.

He recognised that there were occasions when applications never reached the committee and were taken to appeal.

However, he felt on this occasion that legitimate concerns had been raised by councillors about road safety and they were keen to have those addressed before a decision was taken.

Mr Currie said: “For me, the decision was done for perfectly good reasons and it was done to allow the applicant the opportunity to come with a reworked application.

“They could get the advice from transportation and come back and I thought that was a perfectly reasonable position to take.”

The 93 houses on the site would be made up of 64 detached, 16 semi-detached and 13 terraced homes. Twenty-two of the houses would be five bedrooms, 36 four bedrooms, 33 three bedrooms and two would be two bedrooms.

A spokeswoman for Save East Linton from Excessive Expansion (SELFEE) was disappointed to see the proposals going to the Scottish Government.

She echoed Mr Currie’s concerns about access and also highlighted the increased traffic that would be travelling along the High Street.