A PETITION demanding a halt to plans to build a massive energy park at Cockenzie has been lodged with the Scottish Parliament after East Lothian Council rejected the protest as incompetent.

More than 3,280 residents of communities surrounding the area encompassed by the Scottish Enterprise proposals have signed the petition, the number growing by the week, as hundreds of residents crammed into another public meeting this week.

And the Coastal Regeneration Alliance (CRA), which is leading the campaign, is lodging a formal complaint with the council’s chief executive over the way it has dealt with the proposals.

The direct action came as hundreds once again attended a meeting held by the alliance to continue its campaign to stop the plans for the industrial park and deep water quay.

East Lothian MP Fiona O’Donnell and MSP Ian Gray both sat in the packed Chalmers Memorial Church on Monday as it reached its 700-seat capacity for the second meeting in a row.

Following the meeting, Mr Gray pledged to do everything in his power to ensure the petition was heard by the Scottish Parliament.

He said: “This is a Scottish Government proposal and Monday night’s meeting resolved to gather signatures on a petition to the Scottish Parliament, an initiative I applaud.

“I will do all I can to ensure that this receives proper consideration in the Parliament’s petitions committee and that the campaigners are given the opportunity to make their case there.” The meeting heard an impassioned plea from former rugby player and comedian Scott Glynn to communities across East Lothian to stand up to the proposed energy park and save their coastline.

Mr Glynn, who was standing in for CRA chairman Andrew Crummy, said: “I always thought if I came to a meeting to save our coast it would be because of erosion, not greed.

“This monstrosity will affect everyone in East Lothian, not just the communities of Cockenzie and Port Seton and Prestonpans. Anyone who loves East Lothian must stand up and make their voices heard for the future.” Mr Glynn, who was born and raised in Port Seton and lives in Tranent, said his childhood memories were about rockpools, walking barefoot on the beach and picking up crabs.

He said: “I remember bringing my grandchild down here and passing on my skills, enjoying the beach, learning to pick up crabs and walking barefoot on the beach.

“I hope when she gets to a certain age she can bring her grandchildren down to the beach, not just be telling them what it was like when she was a child.” He added: “If I was an East Lothian person and I signed for that to be built I would hope I had three tons of Ovaltine in my cupboard because I couldn’t sleep knowing I had done that to the people of my county.

“We have to stand together and stand in numbers to show we, the people of East Lothian, will not let this happen.” Courier columnist and storyteller Tim Porteus told the gathered supporters the planned energy park would lead to “cataclysmic devastation” of the coast and fishing industry.

The CRA urged supporters to send a letter to East Lothian Council chief executive Angela Leitch complaining about the handling of the proposals.

The move comes just weeks after MSP Iain Gray was ‘letterbombed’ by the CRA, receiving nearly 1,000 letters of protest at his constituency office – he subsequently said the current proposals were “clearly unacceptable”.

In a draft letter the CRA provided to members online and at Monday night’s meeting, the group raises eight key questions about the handling of the proposals, accusing the council of procedural failings.

The letter: points to documents which suggest the council itself was the driving force behind the energy park; questions whether a recent council meeting which saw councillors approve a paper which welcomed the proposals voided their right to make planning decisions on it; and accuses officials of misleading councillors over potential jobs.

Angela Leitch said about the letter: “Proposals are at a very early stage.

“The council recently engaged with representatives of the CRA to listen to their concerns regarding potential future developments and we hope to continue the constructive dialogue.” At Monday’s meeting CRA representative Gareth Jones said a similar site which was developed at Nigg, on the Moray Firth, had created 2,400 short-term construction jobs but only 330 long-term opportunities.

And he said Seton Sands Holiday Park employed 127 people over the summer – jobs he said would be lost if the energy park went ahead.

On Tuesday morning Mr Jones went head -to-head with David Leven, director of energy infrastructure at Scottish Enterprise, on Radio Scotland.

He said the lack of public consultation was unacceptable and local people would not stand for the destruction of their green land.

But Mr Leven said the plans for the park were the “strongest option” for the former power station site.

He said: “We will take into account the views of all stakeholders, that includes the community. The community is fundamentally involved.” Meanwhile, arts impresario Richard Demarco has said he wants to turn the disused power station into a “Tate Modern of the north”.

He said it would make the perfect setting for a huge new arts centre.

And he described the energy park proposals as “completely bonkers” The 84-year-old said: “It’s madness. It is a typical lack of imagination.” His comments were welcomed by CRA chairman Andrew Crummy.