REVISED plans to demolish the old Coach House at Westgate and build flats do not appear to have lessened community opposition to the scheme.

A group of local residents attended North Berwick Community Council’s meeting last week, where they spoke out against proposals for demolishing the 19th-century building at 21 Westgate and building a two-storey block of two flats in its place.

An application was put forward late last year for four flats, which was met with widespread disproval in the local community.

Applicants Melrose and Porteous subsequently withdrew those plans and later lodged the current plans with East Lothian Council instead.

In the design statement submitted with the latest plans, agents Somner Macdonald Architects acknowledged they had withdrawn the previous plans due to a “significant level of opposition from neighbours”.

The statement also claims that some of the objections to the previous application were “misleading”, with the agents stating that the building had been converted from a coach house into an office in the 1970s and that a Heritage Year Award it received from the Scottish Civic Trust in 1975 was awarded in recognition of that successful change of use.

While on the new plans, the statement says: “The existing building on the application site does not have significant architectural merit and does not make a significant contribution to the character and appearance of the North Berwick Conservation Area.

“Its removal and replacement with the proposed building, which is of similar form, massing and height, and has a more interesting treatment to the primary elevations, will not be harmful to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area.” North Berwick Community Council (NBCC) at the meeting voted unanimously against the proposals, and Sheila Sinclair, the group’s chairwoman, said: “I think it is pretty clear what our position is on this.” Lyn Ray, who lives at Marine Lodge, told the meeting: “If you come to North Berwick on the train, you will see the Coach House, but if these plans go ahead then [the proposed block of two flats] is the first thing that you will see.

“If that building goes, it is gone forever, and I think it is really important that we fight to keep it.” Members of the community council had earlier discussed a need for office space in the town; for the application to go ahead, there would need to be a change of use agreed from office space to residential use.

Bill Brunton, a Melbourne Place resident, added: “It runs against all the principles that have been discussed in this meeting. The conservation area should be protected”.

Ward councillor Tim Day advised the meeting that any plans for development in a conservation area needed to “preserve or enhance the conservation area”, while adding that this was a subjective decision.

And Dr Deborah Ritchie, a member of NBCC, said: “We, as a community council, should have some say in what is enhancing or preserving the conservation area, especially if there is no criteria.” David Berry, ward councillor, urged those putting forward objections to be “as pragmatic and objective as possible” when submitting their objections to East Lothian Council.

There are currently two planning applications with East Lothian Council, one for the demolition of the Coach House and one for the erection of a two-storey block of two flats.

The deadline for anyone to object to the proposals is Wednesday.