A RETAIL development and restaurant could be created on a site previously earmarked for a supermarket in Haddington.

Early plans for the site previously owned by Sainsbury’s at Gateside, on the town’s western edge, have been submitted to East Lothian Council by EPIC (No. 2) Limited c/o Ediston Real Estate.

The documents contain few details but describe the plans as the “erection of retail and restaurant development with access, car parking, landscaping and engineering/infrastructure works”.

A spokesman said: “We will be doing a public presentation on June 19 and will be able to chat to people locally and give information on the day.”

No names of potential businesses looking to move into the site have been revealed but the spokesman added talks were ongoing with “a number of major retailers who will be new to East Lothian”.

The four ward councillors – Shamin Akhtar, John McMillan, Brian Small and Tom Trotter – and the town’s community council have been alerted to the proposals.

Ms Akhtar said: “At this stage all we know is that retail and restaurant with access for parking are being proposed.”

Mr Small planned to go along to the exhibition, which is 2-7pm at the John Gray Centre, and urged members of the public to do so too.

He said: “I welcome the fact somebody has shown an interest [in the site]. It has been hanging over the town for a while now and let us wait and see what they propose.”

Rory Macdonald, community councillor and owner of the town’s Leisure Time Sports, was keen to find out more about the proposals.

He said: “Throughout the consultation period for the town centre development plans, what has been repeatedly raised are concerns about what happens when retail parks pop up around small towns and what it does to the town centre.

“That said, Haddington is a growing town and is going to need to have improved facilities.”

Paul Darling, one of the planning liaison officers at the town’s community council, was keen to find out more about the plans, particularly in terms of the restaurant, and was hopeful the developers could attend the community council’s next meeting on June 12.

The site had long been earmarked for Sainsbury’s after it won a lengthy battle with Tesco to build on the site in 2013.

However, plans were put on held and the seven acres of development land were sold for £2.75 million, plus costs, to EPIC in February.

The company said it intended to seek planning permission for “a retail warehouse development”.

The announcement came a matter of weeks after the same developer announced plans for a retail park and as many as 200 jobs at Harperdean, between the A1 and the A199, east of Aberlady Road.

Work is still ongoing to prepare plans for that site as well, with proposals expected to come forward in the near future.

Murray McDonald, from pet shop Animal Magic, was against the idea of a retail park being created.

He said: “Keep it local, keep it in Haddington and as a market town.

“It is thriving just now, I’ve been busy and I just feel it is going to take the footfall away.”