ENERGY Minister Fergus Ewing MSP has told a committee investigating plans to build a giant marine energy park on the former Cockenzie Power Station site that it is not part of the national plans outlined by the Scottish Government for the land.

Mr Ewing confirmed that the former site of the power station was considered an important site for development and a potential energy hub.

But he said the scale of development on it, and the surrounding area, was not set down in Scottish Government plans and does not extend to the energy park.

The Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee is investigating a call by the Coastal Regeneration Alliance (CRA) for the proposed development of Cockenzie and surrounding land as an energy park to be scrapped and new plans drawn up which restrict development to the footprint left by the former power station.

The CRA, which has been fighting a grassroots campaign against Scottish Enterprise plans to turn the land into an industrial park which would build and repair wind turbines for the offshore windfarm industry, claims the Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework’s (NPF3) original plans for Cockenzie as an energy hub were changed without proper public consultation.

They say the plans were expanded after East Lothian Council suggested additional land could be made available and promoted the area as having deep water quay access.

In a response to the committee, Mr Ewing confirmed Cockenzie was identified as an important site for national development and he confirmed changes to the proposed NPF3 for the area were “informed” by views submitted by East Lothian Council, which not only supported the plans but offered additional land and promoted the site as having deep water quay access.

But he insisted the NPF3 did not set down guidelines for the energy park, which Scottish Enterprise wants to build.

He said: “The NPF3 does not prescribe the type of scale of development that should take place at Cockenzie but recommends co-ordinated action and supports investment in this location in general terms. As a result there is flexibility and scope for further community engagement in the planning process.” He added: “National development status does not extend to include the proposals for the energy park.” The petitions committee asked the Scottish Government, East Lothian Council, Scottish Enterprise and ScottishPower, owners of the land, to respond to its investigation into the CRA petition.

The council in its response highlighted Cockenzie’s designation in the NPF3 as a site of national significance for energy development, as well as ongoing public consultations for its proposed Main Issues Report.

The council said no planning application had been submitted for the proposed energy park and it would follow the proper procedures when one was presented.

But it said a cross-party working group set up to oversee option and engagement activity aimed to engage with all parties.

Scottish Enterprise insisted plans were still at the very early stages.

ScottishPower, meanwhile, distanced itself from the proposals, insisting it had not entered into any commercial contract for the Cockenzie site and was focused on dismantling the current power station works.

The energy firm said while there were still plans to construct the gas-powered replacement station it currently faced obstacles.

All responses to the petitions committee can be found at www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/keepourcoast