AN APPEAL has been lodged after East Lothian councillors knocked back plans for 17 houses in Dunbar.

Planning committee members rejected the advice of their officials by turning down the application to build 17 new homes on a field which sits between Station Road and Countess Road.

Dundas Estates has now taken the issue to the Scottish Government, with the appeal status currently reading: “Allocated to Reporter.” A spokeswoman for Dundas Estates said: “After a period of consideration we have exercised our right to appeal the decision by East Lothian Council planning committee to reject our plan for 17 homes in Dunbar.

“We believe this development will meet the demand for additional quality family homes in the area and we remain hopeful of a successful outcome.” The housing would be made up of a mix of four and five-bed properties and the layout of “generous gardens and open space will make this a safe and desirable place for families to live”, the applicants claim.

One of the main issues with the plans was the fact that East Lothian Council had previously earmarked the site for a car park.

In the documents submitted to the Directorate for Planning and Environment (DPEA), the reasons for the appeal are outlined.

That includes: “The appellant is of the opinion that if the site was so important for parking, the council would have progressed proposals immediately following the adoption of the Local Plan.

“However, as six years have now lapsed, based on the lack of action and communication from the council, it must be assumed that there is no longer a desire on the part of the council to progress parking on the appeal site.” The plans were initially turned down by a vote, with nine councillors opting to reject the scheme.

At the East Lothian Council meeting, Mike Andrews, from Dundas Estates, addressed the committee.

He stated it was a good site for housing and the proposed design was sympathetic to the surrounding conservation area, with the retention of an existing wall and tree line.

It was a low density site of well-spaced houses and to provide additional car parking within the site would create amenity and safety issues for the occupants of the houses.

Councillors debated the issue of parking, with problems surrounding parking and the nearby Dunbar Railway Station.

At the time, planning convenor and Dunbar ward member Councillor Norman Hampshire highlighted that plans for more than 1,000 houses in Dunbar were in the pipeline and the council should do all it could to secure additional car parking for the town centre.