A row has broken out over whether a plot of land in East Lothian reserved for creating new jobs should be used for homes instead.

The LAR Housing Trust wants to build four houses and 20 flats on Mid Road, Prestonpans.

However the plot has been allocated for employment by East Lothian Council, which is refusing to back down.

LAR is now appealing to Scottish ministers to overturn the decision, and allow them to develop the site.

The council's decision came despite its planners telling LAR they would be open to a change of use on the site, to allow housing.

It also came after it emerged the council had approached the land owner with an offer to buy it, so they could build houses on it themselves.

However both those actions occurred before the East Lothian Local Development Plan was adopted and a shortage of land for housing was addressed.

Defending their decision to refuse planning permission to the Scottish Government reporter, the council said: “Much existing allocated employment land in East Lothian is in the control of parties seeking to develop the land for alternative uses.”

It argued the Local Development Plan clearly classed the site as for employment and that allowing residential use would result in a loss of that land.

The agent for LAR responded robustly that “there is no evidence presented to support this assertion”, despite their own application.

And he went on to argue the application to build four houses and 20 flats on the land on Mid Road, could be considered to be generating employment because it will be rented properties.

He said: “Although the proposed use is for housing, the fact that it will be affordable housing for rent means that it will generate ongoing employment of people to manage and maintain the property.

“In the strictest terms, therefore, the proposal will generate employment.”

An appeal against a decision not to let Barratt build over 100 homes in land set aside as for employment on the outskirts of Tranent was dismissed by the reporter in May.

Barratt had argued that the cost of making the land, at Kingslaw, ready for businesses to move in, would need to be funded by the sale of residential homes also built on it.

However the reporter ruled against them stating that the land should remain set aside for employment.

A site visit is planned for the Prestonpans appeal site by the reporter in the coming weeks with a decision due next month.

