A “NEGLECTED” property – thought to have been empty for more than a decade – could be demolished to make way for a new home on a busy route into Dunbar.

Plans for a new four-bedroom property off Belhaven Road have been lodged with East Lothian Council.

If approved, the proposals would see the existing building, which dates back to the early 1900s, torn down and a replacement property built in its place.

A planning statement with David Calder’s proposals notes that the existing property “has been neglected for many years”.

It goes on: “Large patches of damp, structural cracks in ceilings and walls, black mould and collapsed sections of the roof are all evident.

“In the area where the northern extension is attached to the original building, there are signs that this was not constructed to suitable standards and there is an obvious lack of weather-tightness.”

The condition of the property was also discussed by Dunbar Community Council, which met on Monday.

Jacquie Bell, a member of the group, described the house as “completely shot” and said that she would have “no issue” with a replacement property.

Drawings of the layout of the new building show a living room and study on the ground floor, alongside a kitchen/dining/lounge, utility room and WC.

Upstairs features a bedroom with dressing room and en-suite, as well as another en-suite bedroom and two further bedrooms.

The planning statement goes on to highlight that it will be set back from the front boundary to try to “prevent it from appearing dominant in the streetscape”.

It also states: “The proposal represents a sustainable approach to providing a high-quality family home.

“Due to the existing dwelling on site being in a state that makes its re-use untenable, regrettably, it will need to be demolished.

“To mitigate this, low-carbon and energy-efficient building measures will be used in the construction of the new dwelling and technologies will be implemented to ensure lifetime greenhouse emissions are minimised.

“The proposed dwelling has been designed to appear in keeping with the surrounding area and will not harm the setting of the neighbouring heritage assets, nor will it have an unacceptable impact on the level of residential amenity experienced at the surrounding sites.”