STARBUCKS could be coming to Dunbar.

The global coffee chain is the first business to come forward as a potential part of plans for land on the town’s southern edge.

Proposals revealed last year suggested the site, on land to the rear of the town’s Asda store and between the East Coast Mainline and the A1, could see 100 affordable homes, retail and leisure units, a drive-thru restaurant and hotel, offices and an innovation centre, and a district heating centre.

Already, Hallhill Developments Ltd have submitted plans for a road network on the land.

No planning application for the building of the drive-thru has been validated by East Lothian Council’s planning department. However, an application, looking for advertising consent for various signs is with the council officials.

It has been lodged by Ormiston-based Burton and Speke Ltd but shows images for Starbucks, with the coffee shop planned for immediately to the east of the existing McDonald’s restaurant.

Images with the current application show the coffee shop, which would feature a drive-thru, with eight electric vehicle charging points, as well as spaces for a further 35 vehicles, including three disabled spaces. A separate planning application would be needed for the coffee shop to be built.

A spokeswoman for Starbucks said: “We are always looking for new locations and opportunities to bring the Starbucks experience to customers in the UK, but at this time we have no updates to share about plans at Dunbar.”

The proposals were briefly discussed by the town’s community council on Monday. Members were asked to go and look at the plans before feeding back to Jacquie Bell, the group’s secretary.

A view will then be passed on to East Lothian Council’s planning department.

Pippa Swan, chairwoman of the community council, said: “It should be noted that we probably could have guessed something like this was going to come given the shadow marks on the masterplan. Plainly, there is an ambition for that little hub to become a trunk service station.”