THE Scottish Government has given developers the go-ahead to appeal a decision to reject plans for more than 1,000 houses at Goshen Farm.

Ashfield Commercial Properties lodged its appeal, claiming East Lothian Council took too long to make its decision over their plans.

And Scottish Ministers have agreed, saying they will now look at the planning application again.

Ashfield told the Scottish Ministers it believed there had been a "failure" by the council to "take a decision within the statutory period, as extended".

However, campaigners battling against the decision accused Ashfield of being happy to go along with the delays as long as they had the "ear" of the council and only complaining when they lost local authority backing.

In November last year, East Lothian Council dropped Goshen from its preferred housing areas in its draft Local Development Plan after facing strong opposition from campaigners.

The move, which came after a petition containing 1,800 signatures opposing the development was handed to the council, meant planning officials were no longer expected to support any proposed development there.

Campaigners who fought plans by Ashfield Land to build housing on it warned, at the time, that developers could take their case to the Scottish Government.

Now they say they are ready to battle on.

Colin Mackay, who was involved in the Hands Off Goshen campaign, said: "It puts me in mind of Bonnie Prince Charlie – he must have cheered at Prestonpans but he still faced the loss at Culloden.

"Not for us. I am hugely confident that the sheer weight of argument against the development of Goshen will prevail and that the Reporter will see the strength of the objectors' arguments."

Ashfield Land, which promoted its planned development of 1,200 homes on the 120-acre site on its website with the assertion the land was a “preferred site” in East Lothian Council’s Main Issues Report – a precursor to the Local Development Plan – told the Courier it was fully prepared to take its case to the Scottish Government.

Steven McGarva, director of the development company, said the council's decision to drop it was disappointing.

He said: "It is difficult to understand how such an obvious, deliverable, sustainable extension to Musselburgh is removed in favour of less well-placed, unsustainable and constrained sites."

The decision to develop Goshen Farm has been hugely controversial, sparking anger from local groups, surrounding community councils and ward councillors.

At the council meeting to discuss their draft LDP, council leader Willie Innes and Councillor Norman Hampshire, planning committee convenor, called for the site to be removed from the proposed sites – and received the backing of colleagues.

Mr Hampshire said: “If land is not within the LDP then it is very unlikely to get support from the planning officer.”

Plans for Goshen were first lodged in 2011 by Ashfield Commercial Properties Limited.

The Scottish Government reporter has said the appeal may take slightly longer than normal to determine, as there are 128 documents attached to it for consideration.