Plans have been launched for a low carbon community at Hallhill in Dunbar.
The site is designed around Andy Scott's The DunBear sculpture and has been named DunBear Park.
The developer Hallhill Developments has informed East Lothian Council that it intends to lodge a planning application for development on the site.
DunBear Park is envisaged as a 54.3-acre mixed-use development which would provide a variety of retail, office, leisure, distribution and residential opportunities, as well as community uses.
It would include retail and leisure units, drive-thru units, a hotel, offices, a nursery, care home and elderly amenity flats, as well as industrial and storage units.
It would also include an innovation centre to support business start-ups and SMEs.
The plans also include 100 low carbon affordable homes, which the developer said are aimed at key workers, such as NHS staff, police and care workers and would be delivered without any additional government subsidy.
It said that DunBear Park would adopt innovative low carbon technology to generate renewable heat and power on site, aimed at ensuring minimal impact on the environment.
Since starting work in 1999 the Hallhill mixed-use development has delivered retail and leisure opportunities, it said.
An economic assessment of the development by Mackay Consulting in 2018 found that more than 600 jobs have been created, 1,524 homes have been built or are under construction and that it was contributing £30m to the local economy every year.
The developer said that extensive community engagement on the proposals for DunBear Park would be undertaken, under Scottish Government guidance that has temporarily suspended public consultation events and replaced these with live and interactive web-based consultation for major planning applications.
This will take place on Wednesday 3June from 5pm to 8pm.
Ken Ross of Hallhill Developments said: “We are delighted to be bringing forward proposals for our low carbon community, which we are aiming to be an exemplar development, adopting the latest low carbon technology
“DunBear Park will assist in creating jobs and delivering housing for key workers, who have played such a vital role during COVID-19. It will also assist in supporting the construction-led recovery from the current crisis.
“We will be undertaking extensive engagement on our proposals and look forward to the involvement of the community in shaping our development going forward.”
