AN OBJECTION to a planned extension to a Dunbar hotel which would feature nine hot tubs overlooking the North Sea suggests John Muir would be “turning in his grave”.

Twenty objections will be considered by councillors making a decision on plans for the Bayswell Park Hotel next month.

Neighbours of the hotel have written to East Lothian Council in opposition to proposals to demolish sections of the building.

An extension with 15 bedrooms, nine of which would include hot tubs, would then be created to boost the business.

A decision on the scheme will be taken on August 16 by the council’s planning committee after the plans were referred to the committee by ward councillor Donna Collins.

Members of the committee, including Norman Hampshire and Mrs Collins, who both represent the town, will consider a detailed report, including a number of objections looking at potential parking and pollution issues, as well as the appearance of the extension.

One objector questioned what Muir – who was born in the town before moving to America and going on to play a key role in the formation of the country’s national parks – would make of the idea.

They said: “I cannot see how this proposal fits in with the spirit of John Muir and its famous John Muir Way that Dunbar prides itself with so much.

“In keeping with his statements of conservationism, environmental and back to nature ideals, surely this proposal of 15 hot tubs bubbling away, polluting the air with chlorine and requiring a huge amount of energy to run and maintain, certainly does not follow in his footpaths. The poor man would be turning in his grave!”

Already, the hotel has four ground-floor hot tubs for guests.

The proposals from Simon Flame show the hot tubs stacked on each of the floors of a proposed three-storey flat-roofed extension to the eastern side of the main hotel building.

According to a planning statement included with the application, the hot tub suites have “proven to be extremely popular, attracting guests to Dunbar from all over Scotland and the north of England”.

It is claimed that the proposals would “help to grow an existing Dunbar business”, as well as “attract further visitors to Dunbar, assist local businesses and deliver new employment opportunities for local people”.

Objectors also highlighted the noise which might be generated by the proposed scheme.

They said: “Local wildlife will be disturbed by the increase in noise pollution. The seals may stop coming to the rocks if there is a high volume of noise from the users of the tubs and the birds will be scared away.

“Hot tubs are noisy and if people are trying to speak over the noise they almost always end up shouting, and that is before you take into account there will probably be alcohol involved.”

One of the other main concerns was if the visitors to the hotel, which was built in the 1890s and was previously known as Kerridge’s Family Hotel, would be able to park.

Suggestions that the car park outside nearby Lauderdale Park could be used instead were dismissed by objectors.

One said: “The hotel proposes one extra parking space to accommodate 15 new bedrooms and an expanded restaurant.

“There will be significant parking overspill to residential streets. This is admitted in the application, referring to overspill parking at Lauderdale Park, which is risible.”