A FORMER church will be turned into three new homes, despite concerns about traffic levels and parking in the area.

Haddington’s community council had highlighted potential problems with plans to breathe new life into the former church at the junction of Newton Port and Fortune Avenue, most recently used as a performing space for the Haddington School of Dance and Music.

Developer Mr P Black applied to East Lothian Council for the building to be transformed into three flats and was granted permission last month.

The dance school closed its doors last year citing a “combination of the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing repair cost of our beautiful old building”.

Six objections to the flats were sent to the local authority’s planning department: concerns included traffic flow on Newton Port and the loss of trees near the proposed parking spaces.

The planning officer’s report said: “It was noted that in the applicant’s statement that there was plenty of excess parking offsite.

“The community council are of the view that the developers came at an exceptionally quiet time as, in most of the community council’s experience, the area had little or no excess parking in the evenings.

“Therefore, they object to the application until the issues with parking/access are resolved. The community council would also like to express concern over where deliveries/site traffic would take place if planning were to be granted as there is literally no excess space in that area.”

The building, which dates back to 1838, was originally opened as St John’s Church of Scotland before being bought by the dance school about a decade ago.

Various changes will now be made to the property, including the removal of modern extensions at the rear. The ground floor will become home to two flats, each with two bedrooms, with a three-bedroom flat upstairs.

A planning statement included within the proposals highlighted that unsuccessful attempts were made for the venue to remain as a dance school.

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It reads: “We made enquiries with McEwan Fraser, who indicate the property is under offer and attracted some market interest.

“However, none of the market interest was for the ongoing use as a community hall and the feedback from interested parties was the costs to retain the building form and uses with the repairs required would be prohibitive to securing a viable sale.

“Instead, a local developer has placed an offer to purchase subject to receipt of planning permission for the change of use to residential.

“This is the only offer tabled and which the owners will accept to secure the future of the building but also to ensure the future of the dance school business itself.

“Therefore for a six-month period the property has been unsuccessfully marketed to enable disposal for the existing use and the only firm offer to purchase is for development of the property to the residential use which is the best alternative in financial and operational terms.”