INFRASTRUCTURE improvements to enable a major housing development on the outskirts of Haddington will get under way this summer after final planning consent was granted.

More than 800 new homes and a new primary school are planned for land at Letham Mains, on the western edge of Haddington.

The site was first earmarked for development more than a decade ago, before East Lothian Council’s planning committee gave detailed plans for 642 houses, 167 flats and a new primary school the go-ahead in the summer of 2015.

Nearly two years later, the final details of the three planning applications have been ironed out, with building warrants also in place.

A spokeswoman for East Lothian Council said there were “no outstanding issues” and groundwork could now be started.

CALA Homes, Mactaggart and Mickel, and Taylor Wimpey East Scotland make up a consortium of housebuilders that will develop the site, which is bordered by the B6471 to the north and Pencaitland Road to the south.

Consortium spokeswoman Pauline Mills, land and planning director for Taylor Wimpey East Scotland, said: “Along with our colleagues at Mactaggart and Mickel and CALA Homes, we are absolutely delighted that planning consent has been granted following many years of working alongside the local authority to deliver their vision for the expansion of Haddington.

“We have completed our purchase of the land and we anticipate we will commence early infrastructure improvement works to prepare the land at Letham Mains for development this summer.

“At the same time, we will also provide access and services for the school site in preparation of its handover to East Lothian Council for them to begin the delivery of a new two-stream primary school.

“At this stage, timings are flexible and subject to change, and therefore we are unable to comment further; however, we will keep the local community informed as the development progresses.”

At the heart of the development is the new primary school, which will cater for nearly 500 pupils, with early learning and childcare provision of 70 places.

The school, which will serve the new development, will have 14 classrooms, with other details still being drawn up.

To the east, CALA Management Ltd will build 257 houses and 119 flats, while community benefits include a new distributor road linking West Road to Pencaitland Road, new community amenities in the form of a new sports pitch and changing facilities, as well as a new linear park running east/west through the development along the Letham Burn.

On the opposite side of the primary school, Mactaggart and Mickel Homes Ltd, Taylor Wimpey East Scotland and Classhappy Limited will build 385 houses, with 48 flats.

All three planning applications were unanimously approved by the 14 members of the local authority’s planning committee in June 2015.