THE reasons behind a decision to turn down a proposed car wash on the outskirts of Haddington have been described as “very heavy-handed”.

East Lothian Council’s planning department rejected a bid for a car wash to the rear of Haddington Retail Park and off the A199.

The business behind the plans, Gleam Machine Haddington, has appealed the decision, and councillors will look at the proposals next Thursday (July 20).

A more-than-100-page document has been submitted to the local review body, where the developers hope to convince members of the council committee to go against their planning department’s decision.

READ MORE: Haddington: Firm appeals refusal of car wash plans

Tony Thomas, who is representing the Dunbar-based business, highlighted that more than a dozen jobs would be created through the near-£200,000 investment.

He wrote: “In the current economic climate, can we really afford to turn away a local business willing to invest and create local jobs all the time utilising an unsightly brownfield site literally adjacent to a petrol filling station… the single most compatible use with a car wash?

“Gleam Machine has gone to the commitment of employing extra staff in Dunbar, training them to work at Haddington.

“Whilst undoubtedly premature, this is a clear sign of their commitment to the development and to local employment.

“Needless to say, these jobs are at risk as things stand.

“Finally, the strength and volume of support in the area since the decision was made has been overwhelming.”

READ MORE: Haddington: Planned car wash at 'important gateway' refused

The plans were turned down by council officials in April.

At that time, three reasons were outlined for the refusal of the application – being a business not suitable for a countryside location; that the development would not complement the “important gateway” location into the town; and a negative impact on road safety.

Mr Thomas attempted to address each of the concerns.

Of the first, he said: “It simply is not reasonable to conclude that this site is in the East Lothian countryside by dint of the thickness of where a settlement boundary line has been drawn (which seems to simply follow the land ownership of the Haddington Retail Park and not the logical boundary which would be the line of West Road (B6471) to where it meets the A199).

“The illogical stance is amplified when you look further along the A199 towards the eastern edge of Haddington, where farmland on the opposite side of the A199 has been identified for development and therefore is within the settlement boundary.”

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The appeal document also looks at the suggestion that the development would not complement the entrance to Haddington.

Mr Thomas said: “This reason for refusal does not pass the reasonableness test and appears as a sledgehammer being used to crack the local nut whilst the multi-national occupiers of the retail park are safely in-situ behind the bland building elevations and garish advertising poles and banners.”

Finally, on the idea of the development having a negative impact on road safety, it was stated in the application that vehicles would only be able to enter from the east and leave by turning left onto the A199.

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The appeal document suggests that there are “no road safety concerns” and traffic controls could be put in place.

Included in the appeal are comments from the Courier’s Facebook page, which highlighted widespread support for the proposal.

Comments include: “This would have been well used. The council should be encouraging local businesses to open in areas like this”, and “So a business that would be good for Haddington gets turned down due to [the suggestion that it] doesn’t fit the image for people coming into the town but that mud patch just before the roundabout is acceptable. Doesn’t make sense.”