A SCENIC property offering views of the Firth of Forth could be built near North Berwick.

A holiday let cottage is already in place above Canty Bay, to the east of the town, but a developer has applied to East Lothian Council for planning permission for a new building on the site to replace the existing property.

A design statement for Ryan Lothian, who is behind the proposals, said: “The proposal explores the replacement of an existing dwelling in Canty Bay which, despite regular maintenance over the last 85 years, has reached the end of its natural lifespan and is no longer habitable.”

Earlier this year, a condition survey carried out at the cottage found it “in a poor condition with penetrative damp and decaying timbers”.

The new cottage would replace the existing property, which dates back to before the Second World War.

The design statement continued: “The existing two-bedroom cottage is deemed uninhabitable and is in a severely deteriorating condition.

“Therefore the proposal is to replace the existing cottage with a contemporary dwelling that nestles into the surrounding landscape.

“The proposed replacement dwelling is of a similar size, scale and massing to the existing cottage and responds positively to the local context in order to protect and enhance the coastal character and quality of landscape.”