Plans for new retirement housing and modern business units at a North Berwick site which is currently home to a popular skatepark and youth facility have been lodged with East Lothian Council.

As part of the proposed scheme, the developer is considering how best to help youth group theSPACE, including possibly extending its lease at the building as it continue its search for a permanent new home.

The application, by McCarthy & Stone, would see the site of the former Ben Sayers factory – which closed in 2003 – on Tantallon Road redeveloped.

It is currently used by theSPACE, which secured temporary planning permission from the council to use the former factory building as an indoor skatepark, among other facilities.

The group has a lease with the current site owner until early 2015 and is working with the council to find a new home.

A ccommunity consultation exercise ahead of the application being lodged revealed strong support for theSPACE and, as a result, the applicant is considering how best to help the group, including a possible extension of its lease at the current site.

Adrian Girling, director of Uprising East Lothian, the social enterprise which created theSPACE, and one of its trustees, said: “theSPACE currently has a lease in North Berwick until the end of March 2015. We are discussing with McCarthy & Stone about what help and support they may be able to provide with our future plans if their application for the site is successful. We wish them all the best with their planning application.

“Our long-term plans are to move to another site in East Lothian but we know that this will be a longer-term proposal that will not happen quickly.

“We will make an announcement in the very near future.” The proposed development includes plans for a specialised retirement development of 41 apartments built specifically for people aged over 60, with a residents’ lounge, reception, guest suite and house manager’s office.

If planning permission is approved, up to 943 square metres of Class 4 business units would be developed on the same site, suitable for a range of modern office, retail or leisure uses. There have already been expressions of interest for a dental surgery, cafe and dance studio.

The application follows a consulation exercise with residents, with 77 per cent of respondents supporting the plans and 79 per cent believing more retirement accommodation was needed in the area. As a result, some minor changes were made: the number of apartments was reduced by one; and the number of car parking spaces was increased by four.