Thursday August 13th 2026
East Lothian Council headquarters
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
East Lothian Council has published its assessment of more than 130 sites put forward for potential development as work continues on the county’s next Local Development Plan.
The sites were submitted by landowners, developers and communities as part of the preparation of Local Development Plan 2 (LDP2), which is expected to cover the period from 2028 to 2038.
The council has been tasked with identifying land for around 6,650 new homes during that period.
Around half of the required housing is expected to be accommodated on existing sites, most of which already have planning permission. This means new sites will need to be identified for the remaining homes.
A call for sites was carried out in late 2024, with more than 130 sites submitted for a range of potential uses, including housing, retail, employment, woodland and mineral extraction.
The sites have now been assessed against a number of criteria, including their impact on protected areas, access to services, infrastructure and their likelihood of being delivered during the lifetime of the plan.
Officers have also considered whether sites are well connected by walking and cycling routes, as well as the impact of development on agricultural land, the Green Belt and Countryside Around Towns.
The council said the assessment has significantly reduced the number of potential sites.
The original submissions could have accommodated around 30,000 new homes across East Lothian, but many have been ruled out after being assessed against the agreed criteria.
Councillor Norman Hampshire, Cabinet Spokesperson for Planning, said the assessment had been an “enormous piece of work” and was a key part of preparing the draft LDP2.
He said the draft plan is expected to go before councillors towards the end of this year, before entering a 12-week period of public consultation and subsequently being assessed by the Scottish Government.
Further assessment work is also taking place to examine the potential impact of development on infrastructure including roads, water supplies, sewage, health services and schools.
This could result in further changes to the list of preferred development sites.
Council officers are also expected to meet representatives from community councils and groups which have produced Local Place Plans to discuss the sites they have proposed.
The assessment of potential sites is not a public consultation and the council is not currently seeking views on which sites should be selected.
Instead, it is an interim stage in the preparation of LDP2 ahead of the publication of the Proposed Plan, which will be subject to formal public consultation.
LDP2 will set out where new development should take place across East Lothian and the amount and type of development required.
As well as housing, the plan will identify land for employment, leisure and open space, alongside infrastructure such as schools, healthcare facilities, roads, railway stations, paths and cycleways.
It will also consider less visible infrastructure requirements, including fresh water supplies, wastewater treatment and utility services such as broadband.
Areas of natural and historic importance will also be identified for protection from development.
The full list of sites and their assessment outcomes can be found on the East Lothian Council website.
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