POTATOES, carrots, cabbage and other vegetables could all benefit from a proposed new reservoir.

Plans have been drawn up to create the “small reservoir” at Luffness Mains Farm, near Aberlady.

Drawings are with East Lothian Council for the site, to the south of Maggie’s Waas Wood.

A statement included with John M Stevenson Ltd’s application to East Lothian Council notes that the majority of the site has not been used for agricultural purposes for at least 15 years.

Instead, it is sown annually with wild bird cover.

The document notes: “The applicant wishes to develop a private reservoir to support the growth of crops at a greater efficiency.

“The reservoir would provide water for approximately 40 hectares of sandy silt loam, which is used to grow potatoes, carrots, cabbage, leeks and sprouts in a rotation with winter wheat.

“Previously, operations involved double pumping water onto the associated agricultural land, but this is proving both expensive and takes water away from where it is needed elsewhere on the farm during the summer.

“The applicant also rents approximately 50 hectares of land adjacent to Luffness Mains to the south at Ballencrieff Farm, which is cropped similarly and requires irrigation.

“In the past, some of these crops have been irrigated using excessive laying of overland pipes and double pumping water over a great distance inefficiently and at a great expense.”

The new basin would be four metres deep and have a holding capacity of 12,000m3.

East Lothian Council’s planning department is now considering the application and a decision is anticipated by the middle of next month.