THE planned new town at Blindwells is on hold, says a senior councillor, after Scottish Enterprise expressed interest in the entire site for their proposed new green energy park.

Councillor Norman Hampshire, chairman of East Lothian Council’s planning committee, told the Courier that the former opencast mining site at Blindwells, between Tranent and Longniddry, had been “taken out of the [housing] equation” for the immediate future at least.

Initial plans for 325 acres at Blindwells, consisting of 1,600 new homes – with many more to follow – along with a new school, recreational space and a business hub were revealed by the Courier late last year, with a planning application expected to be lodged this summer.

But Mr Hampshire said that county planners were now having to identify new potential sites for large residential developments to meet the need for thousands of new homes in East Lothian – almost certainly leading to more new estates on the periphery of existing towns and villages.

The council is drawing up its new Local Development Plan, which will identify preferred areas for new housing, to meet the Scottish Government’s demands for 10,000 new houses in the county in the next 10 years.

Blindwells – where up to 4,500 homes in total have been earmarked long term – was to play a lead role in delivering these houses but that is now in doubt.

Scottish Enterprise’s plans for a massive marine energy park at the former Cockenzie Power Station site, revealed in the Courier last month, also encompasses the Blindwells site to the south.

It does not intend to use the whole Blindwells site but has earmarked all of it until its plans are finalised. This could take several years.

Mr Hampshire said: “The Scottish Government has taken an interest in the entire site as a potential place for jobs.

“That takes Blindwells out of the [housing] equation until we know what Scottish Enterprise plans to do with it.” This week Scottish Enterprise held its first round of public consultations on the ambitious energy park.

They were keen to stress the park is still at its embryonic stage.

Colin Bell, project manager for Scottish Enterprise, said: “This is the initial consultation and the boundaries we have shown for the energy park are the maximum size it could be.

“This does not mean it will cover this area, it depends on the outcome of the consultations.

“The entire Blindwells site is in the boundary, but we only intend a section of it for industrial land, we do not know exactly where yet.” Mr Bell said marketing surveys had revealed demand for an energy park to provide services to the growing number of offshore wind projects.

He said of the new park: “It is hard to compare it to anything because it is unique and will be the first one of its kind in the UK.

“The scale and speed of development will be driven by market demand.” Scottish Enterprise plans a second round of consultations in January when it hopes to present more detailed plans to the public.

They are expected to have a planning application ready to be lodged with the council by May next year.

And both Scottish Enterprise and Councillor Hampshire believe other plans for the former power station could also go ahead and work alongside the energy park.

Other interests in the site at the moment include the Inchcape Offshore Windfarm substation, a possible ferry/cruise terminal and Scottish Power’s gas-powered station, which has still not been ruled out by the energy firm.

Independent councillor David Berry said losing Blindwells as a housing development would have a major impact on future housing plans.

He said: “Blindwells was a fundamental building block in how we were going to cope with the number of houses allocated.

“I am concerned, if we are proceeding to add 10,000 houses and not including Blindwells, how we do that?” Councillor Berry said if the Scottish Government wanted to use the Blindwells site for the energy park then they would have to reduce the housing demands they are making on the county.

He added: “There is an argument to be made to say if you are taking 2,000 housing spaces away you should reduce the number of houses required by the same amount.” Hargreaves, who own the land at Blindwells, insists it is pushing ahead with plans for housing there.

A spokesman said: “As part of the Blindwells project we have identified an area within the development for possible business/job creation that won’t impact the number of new homes we are proposing.

“We are planning to submit a housing application in early July.”