THE developers behind a controversial plan to build 1,200 houses at Goshen Farm have withdrawn their Scottish Government appeal halfway through a hearing.

Ashfield Commercial Properties Ltd, formally withdrew from the appeal last night after two days of a public hearing before the Scottish Reporter.

The firm had appealed to the Scottish Government after East Lothian Council witdhrew Goshen Farm from its draft Local Development Plan as a preferred building site and rejected their proposals.

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The public hearing was due to continue today and into next week with a further three days set down for evidence to be heard from all parties, however the Scottish Government confirmed this morning that Ashfield had withdrawn from its appeal.

Campaigners battling the decision to build at Goshen were expected to produce recent reports on the problem of overcrowding on the North-Berwick to Edinburgh rail services, from the Courier, to support their claims the land was unsuitable.

Colin Mackay, representing Hands Off Goshen Greenbelt, said the developers's claims there would be good transport links were wrong, adding: "It is misleading and inaccurate to assert the development would benefit from a choice of transport through proximity to the park-and-choose and rail transport from Wallyford."

East Lothian Council dropped Goshen Farm land from its draft Local Development Plan in November last year after more than 1,800 people signed a petition opposing the planned development.

Prior to that decision, it had been a preferred site for building some of the housing the Scottish Government has told the county to provide.

Despite the decision, Ashfield appealed to the Scottish Government, claiming the council took too long to come to its decision and had failed to meet its statutory duty.