THE first planning application for the newly-bought former Cockenzie Power Station site has been lodged with East Lothian Council.

Inch Cape Offshore Limited (ICOL) has submitted its plans for a substation on the site, which would bring offshore energy onto land and into the National Grid.

The plans, which were subject to public consultations last year, move the substation closer to the shore from its initial site on the Battle of Prestonpans fields behind the former coal store in Cockenzie.

ICOL has said it identified the new location after taking into account the views of local residents over the original plans, which were previously approved by the council.

However, it is understood the new location would also be a far less expensive site as it places the substation closer to the National Grid connection than it would have been.

An application for planning permission in principle for the substation was submitted to council planners last month and validated on March 8 – the day after East Lothian Council announced it had bought the former power station site from owners ScottishPower.

The plans are accompanied by a 68-page planning statement from ICOL which argues that the Cockenzie Masterplan – a document drawn up by consultants on behalf of the council as a “vision document” for the entire site – should be regarded as “non-statutory guidance” for planners.

And it reveals that the 10.2-hectare site it proposes to build the substation on would mean closures of part of the John Muir Way and Greenhills, although it says those would be temporary.

The John Muir Way core path 276, which runs around the outside of the former power station site, would have to be temporarily diverted during the construction of the substation, which would see underground cables brought ashore. ICOL said the diversion would be for up to eight weeks.

It added: “In addition, there will be a requirement for temporary closure of a small area of open space (approximately 0.3 ha) within the application site along the north-western boundary for health and safety reasons during cable installation which would require approximately two weeks per cable. This area of open space forms part of the much wider area of open space at Preston Links, known also as Green Hills (sic).

“All disturbance will be temporary in nature and will be reinstated to its existing use following cable laying and associated works.”

The statement went on to add that an environmental inpact assessment had looked at the visual impact of the substation building on surrounding areas and said there were potential views for residents of Whin Park, Cockenzie; Cockenzie Harbour; and Appin Drive, Prestonpans.

The planning statement is available to view at Port Seton Library and all documents are online on the council’s website.