PLANS are being drawn up to ensure Haddington is glittering this festive season.

Wooden cabins were located around the town centre last December in a bid to help drum up business for traders who had suffered a challenging year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The cabins will again find a home in the town, on Court Street outside the town’s Corn Exchange, which is currently closed.

Paul Kinnock, from Haddington Business Community Partnership (HBCP), confirmed work was well under way ahead of Christmas.

He said: “Due to the success of last year’s event and positive feedback, the promotions group are having the festive cabins and market from November 27.

“The purpose of the cabins is to assist with town centre recovery and increase footfall in the town centre over the festive period.

“There was great feedback from a survey of the general public last year and this will be built upon.”

The cabins will be in place on November 27 alongside the monthly Haddington Farmers’ Market and will also open the following day to coincide with the town’s Christmas lights switch-on.

A variety of businesses, including arts and crafts makers, will set up home in the cabins, which will then be open from Thursday to Sunday each week in the lead-up to December 25.

Last year, the cabins, which were located on Court Street, Lodge Street and neighbouring High Street, were in place until 2pm on Christmas Eve.

Traders sold everything from jewellery and arts and crafts to beer and pies.

Mr Kinnoch confirmed that would be the case once again this festive season.

He stressed it was about “complementing” other businesses in the town rather than competing with them, and the cabins would help attract more people to the town centre.

As well as the cabins, HBCP is distributing leaflets to every house in Haddington, Gifford and Athelstaneford to make them aware of the plans for the town.

Banners encouraging people to shop locally will be put in place at each of the entrances to Haddington, while the annual Christmas window competition has also been launched.

Ward councillor John McMillan, the local authority’s spokesman for tourism and economic development, felt businesses had benefited from the special Christmas programme last year.

He said: “I hope the idea will grow.

“There are talks about other markets in the town and things happening for Christmas.

“All that is good to promote a vibrant town centre.”