PLANS for four ‘underground’ homes in a courtyard in North Berwick have been lodged with East Lothian Council.
Plans for the development of land adjacent to Fidra House, on Dirleton Avenue, were submitted to the council last month by agent Pritchett Planning Consultancy on behalf of Andrew Smith, of Cheylesmore Properties Ltd.
If given the go-ahead, four two-bedroom ‘underground’ homes could be created at currently disused land to the east of the nursing home.
These photos show how the site looks currently and how it will look once the houses have been built
As part of the application, a design statement has been submitted to the council which gives more details.
It reads: “The key concept is to create a largely invisible concealed structure with a sloping meadow over.
“The only evidence of the four two-bedroom houses from the surface is an open soft-landscaped central courtyard sunken into the ground.
“There will be no off-site views from the dwellings, therefore the properties are inward looking towards a shared landscaped courtyard space.
“The proposals also include raked sloped walls between each property which create a sense of privacy and prevent overlooking from the adjacent dwelling.
“The site is accessed by a sloping pedestrian entrance slot between dwellings to descend into [the] courtyard.”
If the new homes are given the go-ahead, they would be situated between Cheylesmore Lodge and Fidra House.
Tommy Todd, North Berwick Community Council (NBCC) chairman, said he was “not at liberty to comment” until the plans had been discussed by the group.
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