A NEW dog walking facility is coming to North Berwick after East Lothian Council planners accepted the proposals, despite concerns from some residents.

The facility would be located east of the town at Castleton Farm, opposite Drift cafe, and will see the conversion of agricultural land into an enclosed dog walking area with adjacent car parking facilities.

Applicants Jo and Stuart McNicol stated in the application that the site would offer dog walking facilities for members of the public to book in advance for "exclusive use".

They also stated that it would offer dog owners the chance to walk their pets safely in an enclosed environment and cater for all, especially those with puppies, nervous or sensitive dogs, and those with poor recall so they could exercise freely off the lead.

The facility would be open from 8am to 8pm in the summer months, with opening times in line with daylight hours during the winter.

The proposal would also see the creation of a small car park with space for six vehicles (reduced from 12 in initial application) with a tarmac entry way from the main road (A198).

North Berwick Community Council had previously objected to the proposal, believing that the elevated parking spaces would be "detrimental" to the scenic nature of the road.

The group also expressed concerns that the facility could become a professional dog training centre rather than a dog walking facility.

Other objections raised by the public included the loss of prime agricultural land, the encouragement of "other spurious diversification projects" by the same landowner, and that it might act as an overflow car park for Drift cafe.

Council planners stressed that the acceptance of this application would not set a precedent for other developments on adjacent sites and was justified on its own merits.

Additionally, as the proposal reduced the parking provision to six spaces, they rejected the notion that it would act as an overspill car park.

Planning officers also detailed how the development was a form of "farm diversification" and would not harm the viability of land if it were to be reversed at a later date.

The visual aspect was also addressed with the inclusion of a planted hawthorn hedge on the north side, along with new "earth bunds" that would screen the car parking area from the road.

Officers stated that these were "not harmful to the character and appearance of the area".