A BID to scrap parking charges at three of East Lothian’s smallest coastal car parks was rejected by a single vote after two Conservative councillors refused to back it – despite it being a pledge in the party’s local election manifesto.

Coastal parking charges are to be reviewed by East Lothian Council – along with a review of parking in town centres – following a successful plea by Conservative councillor Jeremy Findlay for these measures to be included in the council’s five-year-plan as it was being presented to councillors at a meeting in Haddington on Tuesday.

But while his amendment was agreed unanimously by the minority Labour administration and opposition councillors, an SNP call for charges at the small car parks at Barns Ness, Tyninghame and Whitesands to be immediately scrapped was narrowly rejected by 11 votes to 10.

Councillor Findlay and fellow Tory councillor Sue Kempson sided with nine Labour councillors to ensure the fees remained in place at these locations – despite five other Conservative councillors voting for them to be scrapped, as was pledged in the party’s local election manifesto. The move led to SNP Group leader Stuart Currie accusing the councillors of voting against their own manifestos, telling Councillor Findlay he was “two for two”, in reference to a recent planning committee in which Mr Findlay had been denied the right to vote on plans for new housing in Gullane.

But council leader Willie Innes (Lab) accused the SNP of being bad losers, claiming they were still “licking their wounds” after their recent election defeat.

Councillor Kempson’s website states her priorities include “support for an immediate review and removal of Coastal Parking Charges at Tyninghame and Barnes (sic) Ness /Whitesands car parks”.

When asked about their decision, both Councillor Findlay and Councillor Kempson declined to speak to the Courier.

However, in a statement released later by East Lothian Conservative group, they said: “Both Jeremy Findlay and Sue Kempson and the Scottish Conservatives remain firmly in favour of a review of charges at coastal car parks.

“We believe that a thorough review of the effectiveness or otherwise of coastal car park charges are necessary, and support a withdrawal of charging at the smaller car parks including Whitesands, Barns Ness and Tyninghame.

“Both Jeremy and Sue, however, support a more widespread review than merely the ones mentioned in the amendment presented by Cllr Currie. East Lothian Council has made its view clear that coastal car parking charges should be subject to review.”

Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Currie said: “It was extraordinary to see the councillors who campaigned with a manifesto promising these actions voting against the very thing they promised.”

At the meeting, Mr Findlay tabled a three-point amendment to the council’s five-year plan, which was put to the council for approval.

It called on the council to “actively support the future of Torness Power Station as the county’s largest commercial employer”, call on its integration joint board, which oversees health and social care, to review its services and support for older people, including provision at Edington and Belhaven hospitals, and review coastal car parking, the decriminalisation of parking enforcement and provision of car parking in town centres.

The amendment was challenged by Mr Currie, who questioned whether it breached the council’s standing orders – its rules for conducting business – after it was revealed it had not been given to officials in time.

SNP councillors said the first they knew of the amendment was at the meeting and when they challenged its legality, council leader Willie Innes called for the standing orders to be suspended for the meeting – a move backed by all Labour and Conservative councillors.

Mr Currie said the move called into question the Labour group’s claim it was running the council with a minority administration.

And he said a pre-prepared statement by one Labour councillor in response suggested the two parties were working together. He said: “We now appear to have Tory amendments being pre arranged with their Labour colleagues.”

But Councillor Innes later said: “The SNP are still licking their wounds on their heavy electoral defeat. Instead of agitating about whether it’s a minority Labour administration, which it clearly is, SNP councillors should be taking responsibility for their own actions and represent the communities they were elected to serve.”

A council spokesperson said that details of the review were still in the early stages after it was approved on Tuesday.

But Mr Innes confirmed parking charges in town centres would not be part of it. He said: “There are no current plans to introduce town centre parking charges.”

The additional amendment proposing the scrapping of charges at Barns Ness, Whitesands and Tyninghame car parks was rejected with 11 votes against by councillors Willie Innes, Norman Hampshire, Colin McGinn, Shamin Akhtar, Jim Goodfellow, Fiona Dugdale, Fiona O’Donnell, Andy Forrest, Provost John McMillan (all Lab), Jeremy Findlay and Sue Kempson (both Con). Voting for the motion were councillors Brian Small, Jane Henderson, Lachlan Bruce, Gordon Mackett, Katie Mackie (all Con), Stuart Currie, Kenny McLeod, Tom Trotter, Neil Gilbert and Paul McLennan (all SNP).

Earlier this month, there was anger from campaigners against housing developments in Gullane when Conservative councillors Sue Kempson and group leader Brian Small abstained in two votes over planning applications for the village, and colleague Lachlan Bruce in one. Councillor Findlay was unable to vote because he had previously spoken out against the plans.