A converted horsebox snack van has been given the go ahead at an East Lothian beach car park despite concerns about 'unreliable' toilet provision at the site.
The new snack van, which will be based at Longniddry Bents car park No 2, will operate from a converted horsebox and sell cake, sweets and ice-cream alongside hot drinks.
Named The Picnic Box, council planners gave the new mobile business the go ahead - but said it would be the only one allowed at the beach car park after Longniddry Community Council raised concerns about facilities at the site.
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They pointed out there is already a snack van at Longiddry Car Park No1 on the coastal road and questioned the wisdom of the council "encouraging snack vans when the provision of toilet facilities by East Lothian Council remains intermittent and unreliable".
A report by planners revealed the community council had stated it was aware the council has been "encouraging the provision of snacks and fast food at coastal car parks since last year" and expected it to be approved.
However they called for permission to be granted for just one year and conditions ensuring litter is removed from the site by the trader.
Applicant Catherine King, whose address was given as Port Seton, said the snack van would operate from 10am to 6pm in the summer and 10am to 4pm in the winter.
The menu given included cakes, coffee, tea (hot chocolate and soup in winter) and soft drinks along with a "small offering of confectionary (eg Scottish tablet, macaroon, fudge), ice cream in the summer".
It added salads and filled rolls could be added as the van becomes more established.
The permission was granted with a condition that no additional snack vans would be allowed to operate in the car park to avoid "over-commercialisation" of the site.
The planning officers report said: "It would be prudent to make the planning permission personal to the applicant and to limit the number of snack vans within this site to one, in order to safeguard against over-commercialisation."
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