Plans to develop the centre of a new Scottish town have been submitted for approval.
The proposals for the centre of the new town in East Lothian called Blindwells, led by regeneration and property development specialist Hargreaves Land, could see new shops, offices, restaurants, supermarket and business space all constructed on five acres near Meadowmill.
It includes plans for a further 60 homes affordable apartments overlooking the newly created Princes Loch. The proposals also include a new wellbeing centre, care home, gym and community space "as part of ambitious plans to create a sustainable and pedestrian friendly town centre".
Hargreaves Land, which is working with planning and development consultants Turley and EMA architects to bring forward its plans, expects the move will create a "vibrant and bustling" new centre at the heart of Blindwells, delivering a significant economic boost for the local area in the process.
It includes hundreds of jobs in the construction, supply chain, and local services sectors, which could all follow if the latest phase of development gets the green light from East Lothian Council which is anticipated early in the new year.
Jonathan Graham, senior development surveyor at Hargreaves Land, said: “Our ambitious plans mark another exciting chapter in the Blindwells story. We are investing for the future, building a town centre that will create a new destination and an exciting sense of place for residents, adding to their overall wellbeing and living experience.
“We’re also working with our partners to deliver much needed affordable homes, ensuring schemes like this one are a welcome addition to local communities and contribute towards providing high quality housing for people in places where they want to live.”
Kate Donald, director at Turley, said: “We’re proud to provide ongoing support to Hargreaves Land to help them deliver exciting plans for Blindwells. This latest application will see the creation of a vibrant town centre which will provide key amenities to the wider new community that is being created.”
Hargreaves Land is the developer behind the regeneration of Blindwells, which lies between Tranent, Cockenzie and Port Seton and has been earmarked for new housing for more than a decade as part of the regeneration of one of Scotland’s former coalfields.
Over 150 new homes are already occupied with housebuilders Persimmon, Bellway and Ogilvie all currently active at Blindwells, with Hadden Homes and Avant Homes also proposing to commence onsite in the new year.
David Lonsdale: Businesses need to be alive to local tax debate
The finances of central and local government are stretched due to a combination of elevated levels of inflation, weak economic growth, and greater outlays on public sector pay, services and benefits.
Households and businesses are feeling the pinch too, which is why debates about new taxes and charges have taken on a greater salience. The furore over Glasgow’s low emission zone charges and the alarm in some quarters about the tourism visitor levy are topical examples. However, the increased focus on local taxation is unlikely to dissipate anytime soon. There are several reasons for this.
Sunak's green U-turn 'is a matter of pragmatism'
Sir Tom Hunter and Lord Willie Haughey have welcomed the decision by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to delay the abolition of sales of new fossil fuel-propelled vehicles, welcoming the move as pragmatic.
Speaking on the Go Radio Business Show, Sir Tom commented: "I’ll just say that I admire some qualities of ‘Dishy Rishi’ and I think he’s certainly being practical. I think he’s saying, yes, net zero by 2050, we all still want to do it, but as the facts change, we need to look and see if our policies, which were written some time ago, are still relevant to get us there."
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