PLANS to put a car park on a much-loved green space in North Berwick will not be going ahead.

East Lothian Council announced several temporary changes to the town centre last week as part of its ‘Spaces for People’ initiative, which aims to revive towns while helping people socially distance to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Among the changes was the temporary creation of long-stay car parking spaces on North Berwick's famous Elcho Green, which overlooks the iconic West Bay.

The announcement of the plans for the car park has outraged many residents in the town, who have shared their objections through a petition set up on Saturday evening in opposition to the plans. It has received nearly 4,000 signatures so far.

This afternoon (Monday), East Lothian Council has stated that the plans for Elcho Green have been put on hold so that consultation can take place.

Councillor Norman Hampshire, environment spokesperson, said: “East Lothian Council has successfully implemented a number of physical distancing measures on North Berwick High Street to support the need for safe access to the town centre and economic recovery.

"A further support for Spaces for People was a proposal to utilise a small part of Elcho Green in North Berwick as a temporary car park.

"The recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic is at a fragile point and there is a significant risk of further infection spikes and a second wave; it is therefore essential that we use the Spaces for People grant to enhance the safety and protect our communities.

"Elcho Green provides a temporary car park solution that replaces the loss of spaces on High Street and augments through the provision of a maximum of 80 spaces.

"The benefit of this would have been a reduction in the number of vehicles circling and queuing for parking spaces, enhanced safety for pedestrians and cyclists within the town centre and improved air quality.

"Equally, we are aware of the risk from visitors of displacement of parking throughout North Berwick and as a local authority, we have limited power to manage such risk. For these reasons Elcho Green could provide a temporary solution benefitting both local residents and visitors.

"East Lothian Council is a listening authority and we are aware of the various perspectives being raised within the North Berwick community.

"As such, we intend to place the Elcho Green temporary car parking proposal on hold to allow us a further opportunity to engage and consult.

"This delay will also enable us to monitor the impact of increased traffic as a result of visitors and to assess the effectiveness of measures introduced.

"We have seen in recent weeks, with the gradual easing of restrictions, large numbers of visitors coming to the East Lothian coast, towns and villages. North Berwick offers a unique environment and it’s a fine balancing act accommodating the varied needs of visitors, residents and businesses with necessary public health measures at this time and we’ll continue to engage with key stakeholders regarding Spaces for People."

North Berwick Coastal ward councillor Jeremy Findlay welcomed the news.

He said: "I am very pleased that the council has listened to the views of residents of North Berwick and Elcho Green is not going to be turned into a car park.

"I hope the council, residents of North Berwick and councillors all now get together and come up with a solution that keeps everyone happy."

Earlier, East Lothian MP Kenny MacAskill had said that he and his SNP colleagues on East Lothian Council would be "making our opposition clear" to the plans.

The council's decision to put the Elcho Green plans on hold comes two weeks after the local authority's u-turn on Spaces for People plans in East Lothian's other towns, after they were faced with a backlash from concerned traders and residents.

Meanwhile, last week the council also put controversial plans for a 'transport hub' at Whittingehame Drive in Haddington on hold, saying it instead wanted to focus on supporting the local economy in recovering from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.