A NORTH Berwick councillor has accused the town's award-winning Scottish Seabird Centre of a "decade of megalomaniac selfishness" after it refused to transfer the lease of its land to a new harbour trust.

David Berry (SNP) criticised the management of the centre after talks to include the land within the responsibilities of the voluntary trust - which will act as landlord for the North Berwick harbour area - were unsuccessful.

The SSC has a lease with East Lothian Council for the land until 2097 and wants the council to remain as its landlord, arguing that transferring the lease to the trust would be a retrograde step and not beneficial.

The comments came as cabinet members of the Labour/Conservative/independent-controlled East Lothian Council formally approved the new trust on Tuesday but agreed that the centre's land does not form part of the trust's 'empowerment order' for the harbour. The position will be reviewed in three years.

Mr Berry said he had always been an active SSC supporter and its presence had "greatly helped put North Berwick firmly back on the map as a tourist destination".

But he said he had become "increasingly alarmed at the manner with which it has been managed" and claimed with its "forever increased emphasis on income, as opposed to the original primary thrust of education, it has become increasingly autocratic".

Qualified boatman Mr Berry claimed that some of the centre's actions - including running boat trips in competition with other local firms - had caused "ill-feeling among other harbour users".

He added: "For the last year, the SSC has refused to countenance the ownership of the land on which it sits passing to any trust. The aggressive manner in which this was argued was never, in my view, given any valid basis.

"At the same time, [the SSC] declined to share with the all-volunteer trust association plans that they have for expanding into a marine centre so that long-term arrangements. . . came into serious question.

"How can you form a forward-looking positive partnership of a trust to run the harbour if the SSC, as a major player therein, expresses no trust in its supposed partners? With their lease secure for 99 years, what adverse change could be forced on them?

"Having failed in my efforts to persuade ELC officials all the way to the chief executive and the council leader of the foolishness of launching any trust where a major partner like the SSC has displayed a decade of megalomaniac selfishness, I have to register my protest that the council would be better advised to hold off on the trust while the SSC stops throwing its toys out of the pram and learns what the word 'trust' actually means." Tom Brock OBE, chief executive of the SSC, told the Courier after the meeting that there were "inaccuracies" in Mr Berry's statement and urged him to discuss them with the centre.

Said Mr Brock: "The success of the Scottish Seabird Centre has grown considerably over the last 12 years and our focus always remains on conservation, the environment and education through a sustainable and ever-evolving tourism business and charity. We contribute over �2 million annually to the local economy and over 70 jobs.

"Partnership working is central to what we do and always will be: we have worked in partnership with the council plus local businesses and associations to create a not-for-profit, world-class tourist attraction that benefits visitors and school groups as well as local businesses and residents.

"We plan to build on our successes and have engaged with local community groups, organisations and businesses, including the harbour trust and Fringe by the Sea, as well as the general public, to ensure they are fully informed about the exciting idea to create a National Marine Centre." Reasons stated for transferring the land and its lease to the trust included securing the centre's future, increasing the trust's ability to attract external funding, making harbour by-laws more manageable and preventing a precedent being set.

But the SSC argued that its partnership with the council had been successful and it saw no requirement, or benefit, in transferring the lease.

The harbour has been managed by North Berwick Harbour Trust Association since June 2007 on behalf of the council, with a view to establishing a trust. The issue regarding the seabird centre arose during discussions over legal transfer of the harbour area covered by the empowerment order.

Despite several meetings of council officials, elected members, and both parties, a local agreement could not be reached.

The cabinet said on Tuesday that the council remaining the SSC's landlord until the issue was reviewed in three years was the only option currently available, but Councillor Willie Innes (Lab), council leader, called for the local authority to take a "proactive role" in finding a way forward.

Mr Berry listed being an ordinary member and volunteer at the centre among his non-financial councillor's interests last July.

In 1998 he hiked the West Highland Way for the SSC and was head steward at its opening in 2000.