A WATER bottling plant has been given the go-ahead to expand its business to increase production and create its training headquarters in the East Lothian countryside.

Purely Scottish produces mineral water supplies from its factory at Oldhamstocks with water from the nearby Lammermuir Hills.

But in a planning application to East Lothian Council, the company said it had seen production fall from sending 35 lorries to and from the site each week to just six to eight lorries a week.

And it said it planned to invest in the plant to bring production back up to its peak and create more jobs.

The investment would see an extension built to the plant, the demolition of an older building, and the addition of three 70,000-litre-capacity water tanks on the site.

The planning application for the new extension and water tanks received 11 objections, with local residents claiming there had been no public consultation over the changes with people living in the village of Oldhamstocks and concerns about the increase in vehicle movements to the plant.

However, planning officers ruled that more than enough time was given to residents to respond to the application, which was advertised in the Courier and neighbour notifications issued.

They said: “Additionally and in recognition of the difficulties resulting from the Covid-19 lockdown, the period of time for making representation in respect of the application was extended.”

East Lammermuir Community Council lodged an objection, calling for limits to times and numbers of HGV trips to the plant, the construction of passing places on the road to the plant from the A1, and the establishment of a liaison group between residents and the company’s management to oversee that the conditions were met.

East Lothian planners pointed out that the plant had been operating on the site for 25 years and the extension would secure its long-term future.

Planning permission was granted with a number of conditions, including the requirement for a report on actions to reduce carbon emissions from the build and operations to be submitted for approval.