ELEVEN flats look set to be built on a section of car park in Haddington town centre.

A three-storey building will be created on the car park, beside housing known as The Granary, on Haddington’s Newton Port.

Approval was given by East Lothian Council, despite nearly a dozen objections from the public to the plans.

Plans for 14 flats were originally submitted but Whiteadder Developments Ltd reduced that number to 11.

Haddington’s community council objected to the original proposals but not the now-approved plans.

According to the planning officer’s report, concerns at that time included that the group “saw no need for another block of flats and the majority were against the development on the grounds of loss of inner town parking”.

The site, which is near the town’s medical centre, is currently used for parking.

Parking for the properties will be included to the rear of the premises, with four spaces under the first floor of the building and a further eight spaces outdoors.

One two-bedroom property will be created on the ground floor, with stairs leading to the first floor.

Four two-bedroom apartments and a single-bedroom property will be created on the first floor, with a similar layout on the top floor.

According to a design statement included within the application, there are a number of “key design principles” for the proposals.

That includes creating a design which “complements the traditional character” of its context and provides “much-needed residential accommodation in an area suited to this type of development”. It claims: “The proposals will also contribute to the regeneration and general improvement of the historic town centre.”

Concerns from members of the public included the visual appearance of the building and “insufficient” parking spaces.

Another concern was how the proposals would match up with further expansion in the town, with hundreds of homes being built at other sites on Haddington’s outskirts.

An objection in the planning officer’s report said: “The recent expansion of Haddington has already increased traffic in the area of Tesco and the doctors surgery and further increased traffic... would increase the risk to pedestrians in the area... and exacerbate the traffic situation.”

However, the scheme was given the go-ahead and the report said: “In its position fronting directly onto Newton Port, the proposed building would not... be out of keeping with the buildings of The Granary and 18-20 Market Street, which it would form a continuation of.

“It would not appear prominent, intrusive or incongruous within the mixed character of development existing around the application site.”

The building housing The Granary used to be home to the Courier.