PLANS to build nearly 500 new homes on a field next to Musselburgh’s Queen Margaret University have been submitted to East Lothian Council as the first phase of proposals by Persimmon to redevelop the surrounding countryside.

The developer, which owns large swathes of land around the university (QMU), has applied to build 473 homes on the land at Craighall.

And it has unveiled a masterplan for neighbouring land, including a business park, new primary schoool, two new village centres, more housing and a country park.

Persimmon said that while the Craighall housing could be developed on its own, it had been designed to integrate with “a wider and more comprehensive development if required through the council’s emerging Local Development Plan”.

The firm held public consultations on its larger vision in December 2013 and January last year in Musselburgh.

It acknowledged concerns had been raised about the impact of so many houses on traffic, which is already a major area of concern in the town.

But Persimmon said the feedback it received from those attending the consultations and a meeting with Musselburgh and Inveresk Community Council was that the housing was on the “right side” of the town.

In a report to the council, Persimmon said: “A key concern was the impact of the proposed development on the increased traffic and congestion in Musselburgh and particularly at Old Craighall Junction.

“The issue of road safety arose, as some people were concerned that the increase in traffic would lead to more accidents.

“However, a number of people commented that the site was on the ‘right side of Musselburgh’ and closer for commuters to Edinburgh than sites on the other side of the town, such as Goshen, which would lead to more congestion on Musselburgh High Street.” The Craighall application refers to a 22.7 hectare field to the south east of QMU which is bordered by the East Coast Main Line, the A1 and a goods railway line to its north. The B6415 runs along the southern edge of the site.

To the north west of QMU, Persimmon’s masterplan shows a commercial centre with a business park stretching to South Newcraighall.

On the opposite side of the A1 there are more plans for housing, with a primary school mooted to the west of the dual carriageway.

Persimmon said that it had taken onboard local concerns about future developments in its plans for the site.

It said: “The approach to public consultation has ensured that the local community has been given the opportunity to comment on the proposals.

“This has enabled a number of locally important issues and concerns to be identified and subsequently taken into account in the preparation of this planning application.”