A DECISION on the prospect of international pizza chain Domino’s moving into Haddington High Street will be made next week.

Members of East Lothian Council’s planning committee will weigh up the pizza giant’s plans for 14 High Street – alongside 19 letters of objection and opposition from the town’s community council – on Tuesday.

The application – which the council’s planning officials have recommended be approved – was called in by ward councillor George McGuire, who highlighted “local concerns”, including “a high concentration of existing takeaway businesses in the area, concerns over noise and additional traffic in the area, and concerns over additional rubbish and waste outside the premises”.

Already, advertising consent has been granted for various signs at the building, while the council’s planning department last week gave listed building consent too.

READ MORE: Domino's in Haddington a step closer as advertising consent granted

Now, a change of use is required, as DPSK Ltd wants to change the building from a restaurant/cafe into a hot food takeaway.

Concerns from members of the public ranged from a feared increase in illegally parked vehicles in the area to claims that Domino’s would threaten the livelihood of the established local businesses.

Other issues included that the proposals “are likely to encourage anti-social behaviour in the immediate neighbourhood, noise nuisance, verbal abuse, youth gathering and loitering, criminal damage and littering”.

According to the planning officer’s report, those in favour of the application thought it would “bring more people and trade into the High Street”.

The report summarises supporters’ claims, stating: “The introduction of such a chain will not impact the historic character of the town and a number of shop fronts have been modernised to suit (e.g. Subway).

“The other letters of support state that Haddington needs more businesses and that a petition, opposing this change, seems to be misplaced on various grounds in that this will not be an additional pizza outlet nor an additional fast food outlet generating additional vehicle traffic.”

READ MORE: Petition launched in opposition to Domino's Haddington plans

The proposals were discussed last month by Haddington and District Community Council, as the group decided to object.

Concerns included the prospect of anti-social behaviour and an increase in vehicles in the area.

Suggestions were also made that the vacant unit at the former Aldi store or the remaining unit at Haddington Retail Park were both more suitable locations for Domino’s, which already has premises in Musselburgh and Tranent.

The planning officer’s report reads: “[The community council] state that a new takeaway premise at this location will increase the current problems with traffic flow due to the road being at its narrowest, which is already a bottleneck for traffic coming into the High Street.

“They state that Domino’s operate a home delivery service and that the number of vehicles, both cars and mopeds, will lead to more vehicles being parked where the road is at its narrowest which will impact the smooth flow of traffic coming into the High Street.”

If Domino’s is given the go-ahead, the chain would move into the premises which are currently occupied by The Grain, which has been trading since 1961 and claims to be the “home of Haddington’s original pizza”.