A COUNCILLOR stepped in to help divert traffic after temporary traffic lights broke down outside a new housing development.

The lights outside CALA Homes’ development of Gullane’s former fire college, off the village’s Main Street, were out for several hours on Monday afternoon.

Ward councillor Jim Goodfellow told the Courier he had had a surgery in Gullane that evening and stopped to direct traffic to allow a man, named locally as Simon Adkins, the chance to go home.

Mr Goodfellow said: “The lights were broken and they ended up all on red at the same time.

“I was not involved in directing traffic to start with but I had a surgery in Gullane at about 6pm and on my way back I noticed a young man, a member of the community, was directing traffic and had been for a couple of hours.

“He had not had his tea so I asked him when the engineers were coming.

“He said they should have been here by now and so I let him get home for his tea.”

The North Berwick Coastal ward councillor stressed that the broken lights were a serious problem and they had not been fixed until about 7.45pm that evening.

Mr Goodfellow added: “It is a real issue because it is the A198, the main coast road, and the lights are at the only entrance and exit to the Muirfield area.”

A spokesman for the developer said the temporary traffic lights were not related to the ongoing development.

Plans for 125 houses on the site, including the retention of Henderson House, were given the go-ahead by councillors earlier this year.

The scheme will see 31 affordable homes built, with more than £1.8 million also pledged by the developer towards local education and other public facilities.