NEW life could be breathed into a former golf and leisure club – almost two years after it closed.

Wilkie Developments is in the process of buying Whitekirk Golf and Country Club and wants to create major new leisure and dining facilities plus a holiday village, the Courier has learnt.

A detailed planning application for the multi-million pound project is expected to be submitted to East Lothian Council in the New Year.

Wilkie Developments, run by North Berwick businessman Jim Wilkie, is currently transforming the George Hotel on Haddington High Street.

It envisages “a bright future” for the Whitekirk site but that is not likely to include a golf course.

Mr Wilkie said: “We are delighted to be getting involved in a fantastic project in a part of the world we know extremely well.

"It is a slight change of direction with most of our previous developments being sold on, whereas this project is something we look forward to running and developing in phases over a number of years.

“As a local resident, I was a great admirer of what had been achieved at Whitekirk and was sad to see it fall on hard times – hopefully our scheme will provide a great leisure facility for locals and visitors alike and will be a major boost to the local economy.”

Phase one of Mr Wilkie’s plans will be to refurbish and expand the existing clubhouse building complex to provide a leisure club and casual dining.

A children’s soft play centre and an outdoor adventure play facility are also envisaged.

If planning consent is achieved, the developer is keen to start work on site next summer, with a potential opening date of spring 2019.

In the longer term, the company wants to develop holiday homes across the wider site for short-term letting. A separate planning application is being prepared for a holiday village.

Ward councillor Jeremy Findlay stressed he could not comment on the actual planning application but said that anything that could provide an economic benefit to the area and jobs had to be seriously considered.

He has already met with the developers and said: “On the face of it, it looks extremely interesting – local employment and local revenue.

“The other important thing is it will provide somewhere for people to stay in East Lothian rather than just day visitors, but at the end of the day it comes down to the final application and, just as importantly, consultation with local residents.”

Fellow ward councillor Jane Henderson was pleased to see somebody looking to try to bring the site back to life.

She was keen for further talks between the communities around the site and the developer.

Wilkie Developments is purchasing the site, which is owned by the Tuer family.

In 2013, planning permission was granted for the creation of a 100-bed hotel at the site, as well as 21 holiday lodges and 42 houses, plus a second 18-hole course.

But the company running Whitekirk, Golf Coast PLC, encountered financial difficulties and the complex abruptly closed – and staff were made redundant – in early 2016.