WORK to transform a well-known hotel in Aberlady has been given the go-ahead.

Ducks Inn closed its doors last autumn and was taken over by Northern Irish private investment company Wirefox.

Plans for changes to the building on the village’s High Street have now been given the green light by East Lothian Council’s planning department.

Earlier this year, the team behind the proposals to “refurbish and redecorate” the hotel, also known as Kilspindie House, were hopeful that it could be open once again this spring.

Changes included the creation of a staff welfare building to the rear of the main building, as well as the formation of an access ramp.

Currently, the two-storey hotel is comprised of 27 guest bedrooms alongside the bar and restaurant and ancillary hotel accommodation.

Plans from Aberlady Inn Limited show that the main building would be reconfigured to drop the number of guest bedrooms to 25.

A replan of the front-of-house areas, including the restaurant and lounge, was also planned, while alterations to the accommodation block to the rear would result in two guest bedrooms being created.

Concerns were expressed to the local authority that any increase in the number of guests and reduction in parking facilities would “drive even more cars onto an already crowded street”.

One letter of objection was sent to the planning department, while two letters supporting the application and two letters raising concern but not objecting were also received.

At the same time, it was noted that the main street “has restricted parking and this would likely increase the volume of street parking”.

Planning officials deemed that the proposed changes would not harm the character or appearance of the Aberlady Conservation Area.

The report reads: “The proposed alterations would add modern components to the outbuilding but would not radically alter the character and appearance of the existing outbuilding, which is well contained within the car park of the main hotel building.

“The alterations made to the existing outbuilding would not, by virtue of their architectural forms, sizes, scales, proportions, materials and positions, cause the outbuilding to appear harmfully prominent or incongruous within its enclosed setting.”

Ducks Inn was owned and operated by Malcolm and Fiona Duck for 19 years.

The couple were joined by family, friends, former and current colleagues, as well as customers, for a final service in September last year.

At that time, Mr Duck said: “The staff have been fantastic. They’ve done a great job over a long period of time.

“Driving out was a very strange feeling.

“I think we’ve tried to run the business the right way over the years.

“There are two ways to run a business: one by the heart and the other by the account.

“I think finding a bit of both is important.”