valentines day 2012 - Valentine's date for super-pub launch

THE opening of a long-awaited £1.6 million Musselburgh 'super-pub' has been pushed back to Valentine's Day 2012.

Planning permission was granted four years ago for the former Hayweights cinema and bingo hall on Bridge Street to become JD Wetherspoon's latest low-cost pub - but redevelopment work at the site did not start until September this year.

The pub firm announced a December 20 opening date for the new premises, The David Macbeth Moir.

However, scaffolding remained attached to the building this week and a banner has been hung upon the works to announce the revised opening date.

Eddie Gershon, a spokesman for JD Wetherspoon, told the Courier: "We always give opening dates in good faith, but it's a big project and we have a lot of pubs on the go at the moment.

"The building work has taken slightly longer than expected but there's nothing to read into this. The new opening date is February 14, valentine day 2012."

Mr Gershon also denied speculation locally that the delay was due to the discovery of asbestos.

The opening of the new venue is expected to create 40 jobs, a mixture of full and part-time.

While community leaders have welcomed the development, a group of residents whose properties neighbour the building have accused JD Wetherspoon and its developers of "appalling treatment".

The group claimed their properties suffered water leaks and that they have been treated with "disrespect" by builders, with concrete falling into their gardens and damage to garden ornaments valentines day 2012.