First look at what Blindwells High Street could look like

Thousands of new homes are being created in the new town between Longniddry and Tranent.

Now, regeneration and property development specialists Hargreaves Land is offering the chance for shops, restaurants, businesses and office space to be constructed on five acres of land there. In total, the plans include 12 retail units, a convenience store, and half a dozen office units.

A spokesperson for Hargreaves confirmed that there were “ongoing conversations with potential operators, including an end user for a convenience store”.

Drawings showing how the town centre of Blindwells could look have been revealed in a new planning application. This image (above) is described as the ‘centre of the High Street, facing north'

Included in the latest plans are 60 ‘affordable’ apartments overlooking the newly created Princes Loch.

Also proposed are healthcare facilities via a ‘wellbeing centre’, a care home, gym and community space in a bid to create a sustainable and pedestrian-friendly town centre.

Active travel paths and electric vehicle (EV) charge points are proposed, supporting the principles of a ‘20-minute neighbourhood’.

This concept is based around creating communities to allow residents to meet their daily requirements within a few minutes’ walk of their front doors and includes access to sustainable modes of travel.

This image of how the town centre of Blindwells could look has been described as showing ‘the top of High Street at the Arrival Square facing north’

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.”

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.

This includes hundreds of jobs in the construction, supply chain, and local services sectors.

This image is described as showing the ‘bottom of the High Street at the Market Square facing south’

Plans, which are yet to be validated, have now been lodged with East Lothian Council.

If they are approved, the developers hope onsite construction work could start as early as mid-2024.

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, on the site of a former opencast mine. The land has been earmarked for new housing for more than a decade as part of the regeneration of one of Scotland’s former coalfields.

The first phase of the site is expected to include more than 1,500 homes, as well as featuring retail and business opportunities.

Previously, it has been stated that the development could expand to more than three times that size.

This map shows the planned layout of the centre of Blindwells, including Blindwells Primary School (centre, shaded green)

More than 150 new homes are already built and occupied; housebuilders Persimmon, Bellway and Ogilvie are all currently active at Blindwells, with Hadden Homes and Avant Homes also proposing to commence onsite in the new year.

Kenny MacAskill, MP for East Lothian, said: “Communities are not made by housing alone. Peripheral council estates across Scotland testify to that. Shops, facilities and work are needed.

“Whether this is the right application is for the committee.

“But more than just houses there must be or, as Billy Connolly said: ‘It’s a desert with windaes.’”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Planning policy, set out in the National Planning Framework 4, aims to ensure good quality homes are well supported by community facilities so people can live well locally.

“NPF4 also acknowledges that Blindwells is one of seven strategic sites identified for development in the Edinburgh city region and recognises there is potential to create a sustainable settlement in this location.”