PLANS to open a car wash on a former gasworks near the site of the former Cockenzie Power Station have been lodged with East Lothian Council.

Perfection Car Wash, which is currently situated to the east of the proposed site, across from the entrance to West Lorimor Place in Cockenzie, has applied for permission to move to the gas holder site, which is less than 500 metres west of its current address.

The site, which was used as part of the National Grid network, is owned by Scottish Gas Networks and is included in the current draft masterplan which East Lothian Council is perparing as a blueprint for the future of the former power station and surrounding land.

The car wash firm plans are described as a temporary change of use of the land for one year.

They propose erecting two storage containers and a covered area, as well as carrying out work to allow them to operate their business on the site.

However, they said the proposals were only for one year to “protect the future aspirations of the site as per planning policy” following discussions with council officials.

The former gasworks site was put forward by the Coastal Regeneration Alliance as an alternative site for a planned substation which was given planning permission on part of the Battle of Prestonpans site earlier this year.

Inchcape Offshore Limited (ICOL), which was behind the substation proposal, has since submitted a new planning application to relocate the substation, which will bring energy from on offshore windfarm into the National Grid, not at the gasworks but across the road on the former power station site itself.

This move raised objections from Prestonpans Community Council, which said the land should be used to provide local jobs, with one community councillor describing it as “crazy”.