CONCERNS have been raised after it was revealed Scottish Enterprise has invested £40,000 into the development of a masterplan for the former Cockenzie Power Station site.

East Lothian Council has set up a forum to look into the future of the land, owned by ScottishPower, and pledged £150,000 towards the creation of the masterplan.

However, the involvement of Scottish Government agency Scottish Enterprise has set off alarm bells among those in the community who want to safeguard the land for public benefit.

Scottish Enterprise was behind the plans to create a giant industrial energy park on the land, revealed by the Courier in 2014.

Their vision for the site, which included the Greenhills, included a 24-hour working dockyard and factories the size of football stadiums which would build and repair wind turbines for the offshore wind farm industry.

The plans sparked public outrage and the Coastal Regeneration Alliance (CRA)was set up in protest at the plans.

The CRA has been battling to secure the land as part of a community right to buy and is currently challenging the Scottish Government in court over its refusal to grant the right to them.

Scottish Enterprise withdrew its plans for the industrial estate last summer and East Lothian Council set up a forum to bring together interested parties to draw up a masterplan for the site.

However, the inclusion of Scottish Enterprise and the large cash investment has caused concern within the CRA.

A spokesman for the group said it was “very concerned” that the agency was part-funding the masterplan in partnership with the council.

He said: “The area concerned is land which the community wants to see turned from a vast industrial blot on the beautiful East Lothian coastline into a community-owned asset, to be shared by all of us for the common good.

“It is very suspicious that Scottish Enterprise wishes to contribute financially to a process which should be totally transparent and free from external pressure of any kind. This could be seen as Scottish Enterprise wishing to adversely affect the outcome of the master planning process to achieve what they wish to see developed on the land, which is at odds with those of the community.

“Why would Scottish Enterprise wish to contribute financially to a master-planning process, other than to foster the regeneration of industry?”

East Lothian Council confirmed that Scottish Enterprise was involved in the future plans for the land.

A spokesperson said: “Scottish Enterprise are providing £40,000 of funding to the council to contribute towards the engagement of a project manager to help with the commissioning of a masterplan for the former Cockenzie Power Station site. This funding is in addition to the £150,000 set aside by the council.

“It is likely that Scottish Enterprise, in their role as Scotland’s key economic development agency, will be consulted as part of the master-planning process. The Community Forum will be considering stakeholder identification at their next meeting.”