PLANS have been lodged with East Lothian Council to transform a former Tranent bank into a new church.

A planning application for the changes to the building on the town’s High Street has been submitted by Tim Rawlinson, who serves as a minister at Musselburgh Baptist Church.

The building was previously home to a Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) branch, which was Tranent’s last bank, before it closed in July last year.

Earlier this year, the Courier reported that Musselburgh Baptist Church had bought the former bank building and was hoping to turn it into a place of worship.

READ MORE: Musselburgh church buys former RBS building on Tranent High Street

The proposal now lodged with the council involves using the building for all of the activities of the planned new Tranent Community Church, including Sunday services and midweek meetings, toddler groups, children’s clubs, community meals, cafe-style drop-ins, chess club, men’s club, addiction recovery groups and administration.

A supporting statement submitted with the application by Mr Rawlinson says: “It is intended that the building will be open throughout the week as a place where the community feel able to come for a cup of tea and a conversation.

“The church currently consists of 30 people who will be regular users of the building, though we hope for this number to increase, and we anticipate a larger number of people to attend the groups and activities listed above.

“All of the church members are residents in Tranent, and passionate about serving and benefitting the community we live in as an outworking of our Christian faith.

“We hope to contribute to the growth and improvement of our High Street by maintaining the condition and appearance of our building, and generating increased footfall to the area by having the building open and in operation.”

Mr Rawlinson, who has served as a minister for three years, later added: “We are a group of local Christians who are in the process of establishing a new church in Tranent.

“We are being supported by Musselburgh Baptist Church to form ‘Tranent Community Church’.

“We’re passionate about serving our community, especially through holding out the message of hope that Jesus died for sinners, in order to bring us into relationship with the God who made us.”

Councillor Colin McGinn, ward member for Tranent, Wallyford & Macmerry, said: “I am pleased to see the building come back into ownership and even more so that it is a community group.

“The key thing is that it is a large building on the High Street that will not now lie empty and will be brought back to life, which can only be a good thing.”

The council is expected to make a decision on the plans by the end of next month.

It was previously stated that it was hoped work converting the building into a church could be complete by the end of the year.