LESSONS will be learned from the failed Scottish Enterprise bid to create a marine energy park at Cockenzie, East Lothian Council has pledged.

The future of the land at the former Cockenzie Power Station is uncertain after ScottishPower last week confirmed it had abandoned plans to build a new gas-fired power station there.

However, at a meeting of East Lothian Council on Tuesday, councillors insisted that everything must be done to ensure the land ends up in public ownership.

And they said that after the debacle which surrounded Scottish Enterprise’s proposals to take over the land, they would work with the community to find the ideal use for it.

Councillor John McMillan, the council’s spokesperson for tourism and economic development, said: “It will not be [about choosing between] the community or business, it will be both community and business.” The Courier revealed plans by Scottish Enterprise to build a giant marine energy park on the former Cockenzie Power Station site last May.

The plans included creating a giant dock, factories to build wind turbines and carry out repairs for the offshore windfarm industry, and re-routing the coast road. The giant industrial project sparked an outcry among many residents and led to public meetings which saw more than 1,000 people turning out.

The Coastal Regeneration Alliance (CRA) was formed to give voice to opposition and earlier this year, after a massive grasroots campaign, Scottish Enterprise announced it was dropping the proposal.

Last week, the Courier revealed that ScottishPower officials had met with the local authority and Scottish Government representatives to discuss selling the land to the council, which they are believed to be ready to do for a nominal fee.

However, at the council meeting this week, officials said any details of negotiations were confidential and urged caution as they talked about ensuring the right deal for the council and the community.

Mr McMillan said: “Any plans for the site coming into public ownership would first have to be scrutinised in order to assess their feasibility.

“We will continue to have dialogue with the owner of the site, ScottishPower, and will work with local community groups to ensure that this site can fulfil its potential.” He added that a community forum had been set up to include local views and groups in moves to create a masterplan for the site, saying he hoped this approach would help “repair some of the damage done” over the energy park saga.

Many councillors said that Scottish Enterprise’s approach to the site and disregard for the local residents had led to a loss of confidence in the project by the community.

SNP opposition councillor Stuart Currie said: “I think Scottish Enterprise got it badly wrong and then fell away. It was not well handled at all. We have the opportunity to start again.” Council leader Willie Innes, who has been a vocal supporter of the land transferring to public ownership under the council’s governance, said it was a “significant site of national importance and public interest”.

He said: “It is an exciting project for us which can have a significant impact. . . we have to be careful, but I am confident we have the officers of the council looking after our best interests.” The council agreed to give officers a mandate to secure the future of the site and pledged £150,000 towards setting up a project team to look into it.