TWO Commonwealth Games medallists are aiming to transform a former hotel on Dunbar’s High Street.

Judokas Steven and Michelle Vidler, who competed at the Manchester games in 2002, are looking to revitalise the Lothian Hotel, which has sat empty for a number of years.

Plans by the husband and wife to convert the hotel into three houses, three flats and an office were submitted by Mr Vidler to East Lothian Council in July 2015.

However, these are being revised to include a bar/restaurant and new proposals are due to be lodged with the local authority in the next couple of months.

Michelle, who won gold at the Commonwealth Games and also represented Great Britain at the Olympics in 2008, said they had “revisited our options” and now envisaged three apartments, a bar/restaurant, and an office.

She said: “The office is fairly straight forward and so are the apartments but in terms of the restaurant and the bar, that is what we see could sit there really nicely.

“We see a big gap in the market for almost a slice of what is in Edinburgh, with a nice quality eatery.”

Michelle and Steven, who won bronze at the games in 2002, moved to the town having previously lived in Edinburgh and Manchester.

She added: “Just from doing market research and speaking to people – and I have spoken to a lot of people – to make sure we have the best options, there seemed to be a consistent requirement for workspace for people that commute into Edinburgh but don’t want to do that.”

The future of the Lothian Hotel, which is towards the south of High Street, has long been included on the agenda of the town’s community council.

At a meeting last month, Councillor Norman Hampshire told members new plans were being drawn up.

He said: “There are discussions ongoing with amendments made to the application.

“A fresh application is being submitted and will have to go through the planning process as well because the plans have been changed.”

A new proposal would see members of the public given the chance to have their say on the project.

The building was last used as a hotel and public house in 2012. At that time, the building contained 13 lettable rooms, as well as a function suite, bar, other facilities and manager’s flat.

After the closure of the business, the hotel was put on the open market by the owners, with an asking price in the region of £150,000 in April 2014.

However, after “a prolonged period without any meaningful offers” a closing date of December that year was given, with an offer of £105,000 accepted.

None of the offers for the building came from hoteliers and all three interested parties were developers looking to get permission for a change of use to residential accommodation.

A design and planning statement, submitted by Chalmers and Co last summer, said the building was “in an extremely poor state of repair after suffering years of neglect”.

The document also states the hotel had been used primarily in its final years as emergency accommodation for homeless people.