PLANS for houses and a car park extension at the Glebe Field in North Berwick have been turned down.

The controversial proposals, for nine apartments and an extension to the existing car park, were rejected at a meeting of East Lothian Council’s planning committee in Haddington on Tuesday morning.

After a lengthy debate, members voted 10 to two to back planners’ recommendations to refuse the application.

The committee heard from Iain McFarlane, council head of planning, who said the site would not enhance or preserve the conservation area of the town, while there were also submissions against the development from residents Debbie Shinton and Eddie Clark – the latter who spoke on behalf of North Berwick Environment Trust.

Debbie Shinton said there was a “long list” of reasons for rejecting the proposals, put forward by ex-North Berwick community councillor Jake Scott, while highlighting the dangers of increasing the amoung of traffic on St Andrews Road. Last year, a woman was struck by a runaway car which had been parked in the Glebe car park.

The same issues were highlighted by Mr Clark, who was also wary of the damage to the town’s conservation area.

However, ward member Tim Day was one of two councillors, along with convenor Norman Hampshire, to vote against planners’ recommendations. Mr Day said the development was a “sensible solution” to the town’s parking problem, and added: “Parking is an issue and the demand for parking in the town centre has grown as North Berwick has grown.”

But fellow ward member Jim Goodfellow, who voted to refuse the plans, said: “North Berwick now is not the same as North Berwick in 2011 [when the car parking report was published].

“It is a sensitive issue – there are people in the town who remembers when there were animals grazing in the Glebe Field.”

Councillor Peter MacKenzie, meanwhile, said the decision was a “no-brainer” and said the plans were “gross in the eyes of local people”.