A FAMILY-RUN hotel could be demolished to make way for a new and larger modern-looking replacement.

Gullane’s The Mallard Hotel has been run by the same family for more than half a century but new plans reveal a dramatic change for the East Links Road venue.

Information boards were on display in the hotel last Thursday afternoon before a presentation was given to the village’s community council.

Currently, the hotel is made up of 18 bedrooms, with a bar, bistro and garden room open to the public.

However, the proposed new hotel – which would be built over three floors – would include 25 bedrooms, as well as a restaurant, lounge and spa facilities.

Structured House Group is behind the plans, with a formal planning application expected to be with East Lothian Council’s planning department before the end of the year.

Hotel owners Cameron and Susan Law intend to step down from the business, which has been in the family for 56 years, if the proposals are given the green light.

Susan, who is also chairman of Muirfield Riding Therapy, which offers free horse-riding for people with disabilities, stressed that The Mallard Hotel remained open for business as usual and would continue to be so for the foreseeable future.

She told the Courier: “I think, initially, I was quite shocked that it was going to be knocked down but in retrospect it is the best thing really.

“Obviously, we will be sad to see it go but we will take The Mallard Hotel with us is how I am thinking now. It is very dear to us.

About 100 people attended the public exhibition in the hotel and Tony Thomas, representing the developers, was pleased with how the six-hour drop-in event had gone.

He said: “It was overwhelmingly positive – mainly because it is not housing [being proposed].

“The vast majority of people really, really like the design. The only slight hiccup was two or three immediate neighbours were concerned over parking so we will look at that. If there is not enough parking, it spills out onto the street.”

Tom Drysdale, chairman of Gullane Area Community Council, was at the presentation and the meeting afterwards.

He said there were concerns about the proposals and noted residents’ worries about parking and traffic generated by the new hotel.

Mr Drysdale said: “The plans were well presented.

“What they are proposing is a fine installation and it looks as though it would be a good, upmarket, modern hotel with good facilities.

“There is considerable concern in the community about the problems likely to arise from car parking.

“That was the big issue in the discussions at the community council meeting.

“There were a lot of people indicating significant concern on that point. It is quite a heavily built-up residential area and already the parking is under pressure from residents.

“I would say the new hotel has significantly more rooms than the present one. It is also supposedly going to have an upmarket restaurant, which will attract evening customers.”