CONSERVATION watchdogs have claimed that the people of Musselburgh have been “badly let down” by East Lothian Council and the Scottish Government reporters examining the draft Local Development Plan (LDP), which proposes a housing explosion for the town.

While delighted that “common sense has prevailed” with the Howe Mire site at Wallyford, which had been allocated for 170 homes but has now been recommended by reporters to be dropped from the plan, they stressed that the Musselburgh area was still destined to get more than 5,000 new homes.

Barry Turner, spokesman for Musselburgh Conservation Society, said that the proposal for new housing at Howe Mire, which was on part of the Pinkie Cleugh battlefield site, would have been “hugely damaging”.

He added: “The reporters accepted all the arguments put forward by us and others.

“We would add that we find it incredible that the council supported this proposal, which showed a complete lack of sensitivity about local heritage and was clearly contrary to its own policy on protecting battlefields.”

But he added: “The good news stops there because no other changes to the plan are recommended in respect of the Musselburgh area apart from tinkering with wording.

“So we will still get more than 5,000 new dwellings.

“The reporters have dismissed the concerns raised by many about the impact of all this additional housing on our town, agreeing with the council that it can all be addressed by traffic mitigation measures, walking and cycling initiatives, and better rail services and more station car parks along the line.

“We suspect that Musselburgh residents who suffer our current traffic problems on a daily basis will find this difficult to accept.”

Mr Turner, a retired planner and former East Lothian councillor, added: “With the exception of the Howe Mire recommendation, the society is hugely disappointed with the outcome.

“Whilst recognising that we could not expect much of the new housing to be transferred elsewhere, we asked at least for a reduction in the amount of housing to be allocated here as a gesture recognising the impact and the significant change it would represent.

“It was not to be.

“The people of Musselburgh have been badly let down by the council and by the reporters examining the plan.

“In our view, both have failed to understand the special qualities of Musselburgh which need to be protected and enhanced, and the particular traffic problems associated

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with there being just two bridges across the Esk both accessed through a congested and polluted High Street.

“The message now must be brace yourselves for the major changes that are on the way, that is of course assuming that the house builders can and will actually deliver such a concentration of new housing.”

The revised plan will now be presented to East Lothian councillors for discussion in the coming months.

If they agree with the reporter’s amendments, it will move into the next phase of being adopted.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “Independent reporters from the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) carried out an examination of unresolved representations to the proposed East Lothian Council local development plan. They took full account in their report of all the evidence submitted and their findings from an extensive programme of unaccompanied site inspections.

“The planning authority are currently considering the recommendations in the examination report. There is a statutory three month period within which the planning authority is required to notify Scottish Ministers of their intention to adopt the plan, which will be June 12, 2018.”

A council spokesperson commented: “The council is pleased to have received the report on examination of the proposed Local Development Plan and the support offered for the compact spatial strategy and the majority of the housing and employment sites the council proposes to allocate, including in the Musselburgh and Wallyford areas.

“This provides East Lothian with a sustainable strategy for jobs and homes making the best use of existing infrastructure whilst allowing for funding of new infrastructure including replacement and new primary and secondary schools.

“The council will consider the modifications to the LDP proposed by the reporter at a meeting in the near future as it progresses to adoption of the plan.”

The full 1,104-page response by the reporters is available on the council’s website.