A NEW housing development at the controversial Goshen Farm site between Musselburgh and Prestonpans may be inevitable, it has been claimed, but a line will have to be drawn in the sand.

Developers have submitted scaled-down plans to build about 300 houses on a section of the farmland, after facing huge opposition to original proposals to build more than 1,000 homes on the 50-acre site.

At a meeting of Prestonpans Community Council, one of the main objectors to the original plans said he was accepting the reduced proposal.

Finlay Lockie, former community councillor, told the meeting he had told developers when they first proposed 1,000 houses on the farm that it was too many homes but that he accepted a smaller development on the land was likely to be approved.

And he said this meant he was no longer in a position to object to what he described as the “inevitable” development at Goshen.

But he urged the community council to make it clear to East Lothian Council that it would not allow further development to be tagged on to the smaller housing estate.

Mr Lockie told the community council they would have to be extremely vigilant of a “little by little” approach at the site by future developers.

And he urged them to make sure that developers who did build gave something back to the community.

Mr Lockie said: “It is acknowledged by East Lothian Council there is a shortage of housing land in the county.

“My view is that if this proposal for 300 homes was refused and went to appeal, the Scottish Reporter is going to say there is a shortage of land and this is a deliverable site.

“If you come to the conclusion that some development is inevitable here then it is incumbent on you to do what you can to get something back for the community.”