East Lothian Council’s Planning Committee met remotely on Tuesday 5th October and considered various applications, including plans for a crematorium at Old Craighall.
The committee heard that the application has gone through the Pre Application Notice procedure which included community consultation, namely an online exhibition and video meetings. The site has been allocated for business use in the council’s Local Development Plan, while the land on the other side of the road at Old Craighall has planning permission in principle for a mixed use development and housing is already being constructed on part of that site.
The crematorium would be a single storey building with a 112 seat chapel, waiting room and car park with 112 spaces. An ornamental garden, memorial garden and ‘parkland’ would also be created.
A report from the applicant stated a need for a crematorium in East Lothian and highlighted that the proposed site would mean the facility would be the closest for almost 90 per cent of East Lothian’s population.
A total of 13 objections were received with concerns including an increase in traffic, potential overspill parking in surrounding streets, potential noise and air pollution and the potential impact on property prices.
Following a debate, committee members voted eight to two in favour of approving the application, in line with the planning officer’s recommendation.
Committee also unanimously approved details of a 149-house new development to the south of Wallyford, which forms part of the wider Wallyford development area. This section of the development had already been granted planning permission in principle and committee members agreed to full planning permission today.
All of the 149 houses to be erected within the site will be private houses for sale and will include 90 terraced and semi-detached and 59 detached houses ranging from two to four bedrooms. The site also includes internal access roads, footpaths, garages, parking areas, landscaping and an area of open space. Affordable housing will be accommodated on other parts of the wider site.
Similarly, committee members unanimously approved details of a 99 house development at Windygoul, Tranent, which forms part of a wider development to the south of the town, where construction on part of the site is already underway. The 99 house development is on a site next to the Ormiston Road and farmland to the south of Tranent. Planning permission in principle was already in place, and councillors today granted full planning permission, in line with the officer’s recommendation. The houses will be 64 detached, 12 semi-detached and 23 terraced, all two storey and all for private sale. Again, affordable housing will be accommodated on other parts of the wider site.
An application by East Lothian Housing Association for 27 flats for social rent in Dunbar was called off the Scheme of Delegation List by Councillor Hampshire due to concerns about vehicular access to and from the site, the potential impact of waste storage at the entrance to the site and the loss of trees in the conservation area.
Committee members heard that traffic calming measures would be included to slow traffic entering or leaving the site and that the applicant had changed the location of the waste storage. Councillors unanimously approved the application, which is on the former garden ground at the St Andrews Centre, Bayswell Road. Separately, discussions would be held with the applicant to hopefully agree to tree planting outwith the site to compensate for the loss of trees on the development.
The relevant application numbers are: Old Craighall crematorium, 21/00528/PM; Wallyford housing, 21/00468/AMM and 14/00903/PPM; Tranent housing, 21/00551/AMM and 18/00937/PPM; and Dunbar social housing, 20/00939/P.