PINTS may have been pulled for the last time in a Haddington town centre pub.

The Gardeners Arms closed nearly three years ago and, with no one coming forward to breathe new life into the pub, it could be transformed into housing.

East Lothian Council is weighing up a planning application which would see homes created on each of the building’s three storeys.

Agents representing DSI Properties Ltd, which is behind the plans for the building, said that attempts had previously been made to see The Gardeners Arms reopen.

They said: “The loss of commercial premises within the main business area of the town is something the authority tries to control; however, even before the current crisis, it is fair to say that the licence trade and in particular small non-food premises have been struggling to survive.

“The previous owners attempted but failed to find tenants for the premises.

“There was no interest and they were forced to put the property up for sale, with no interest other than that of the applicants.”

Plans show two-bedroom flats on each of the three floors, with the upper two floors including an en-suite bathroom.

The developers state: “It is clear that an alternative use for the property needs to be found if it is not to fall into disrepair.”

Similarly, they claim that the market for a pub has “not been good for some time and will become even more difficult following the current Covid outbreak and the economic fallout from this”.

A decision on the proposals is expected by the end of next month.

The name for the pub dates back hundreds of years, with The Fraternity of Gardeners of East Lothian once based in the town.

They purchased a property on a corner of Market Street which contained an inn, which is still known as the Gardeners Arms.

The plans for the Kilpair Street building were discussed by the town’s community council on Tuesday evening.