New plans to build a care home in the gardens of Cockenzie House have sparked objections from both the community and Historic Scotland.

The latest proposal is for a 60-bed home which would be built in the East Garden of the house, which is currently home to allotments.

It comes two years after a previous proposal was narrowly rejected by East Lothian councillors.

Cockenzie House ran as a nursing home up until April 2008 when it closed, with owner Jim McDonald citing financial difficulties, following a ban on new admissions by the Care Commission.

The closure saw a bitter political spat between the then-ruling SNP /Lib Dem administration and the Labour opposition.

Some 80 jobs were lost and the 54 residents were relocated to other care facilities across East Lothian.

Mr McDonald was later jailed for a year after he was convicted of conning an English local authority out of £50,000 in fraudulent claims for residents in the home.

In 2013, Mr McDonald applied to build a new 65-bed home in the East Garden of the House, which he owned, but planning permission was denied by a vote of 7-6 at the council’s planning committee.

The latest plan has been submitted by a Mrs Patricia Maria McDonald, whose address is given as Ann Street, Edinburgh, and who states she is the owner of the land.

Cockenzie House and Gardens currently runs as a community/business hub housing local groups, charities and small businesses, as well as a busy tearoom which was recently taken over by master baker Falko. It is managed by a charity which leases the house and surrounding gardens.

Cockenzie and Port Seton Community Council has lodged an objection to the planning application, saying it will have a detrimental effect on both the community activities of the house and surrounding residents.

They said any development in the east part of the garden would have a “significant impact” on the activities there and they raised concerns about an “unacceptable risk to traffic in the High Street, both during construction and operations”.

They said: “The proposed development will destroy wildlife and bees and we are recommending refusal.” Historic Scotland also called for the plans to be rejected.

It said: “The proposed care home will have a major negative impact on the integrity of Cockenzie House.” The plans will go before the council’s planning committee for a decision next Tuesday (September 1).