CALLS to scrap a map detailing potential sites for opencast mining have been knocked back.

The map detailing opencast opportunities and restrictions was included as part of East Lothian Council’s Main Issues Report (MIR) on Tuesday afternoon.

Councillors discussed the location of potential sites for opencast coal mining in the county, although the report states there is “no scope to identify any area of search for opencast coal extraction in East Lothian within which proposals would have a realistic prospect of support”.

Similarly, the report adds: “It is also not clear if their extraction is technically feasible and could be carried out in a way that is environmentally and socially acceptable.

“A full assessment of the environmental effects and need for mitigation would be required at the level of any project.

“However, it remains the council’s view that any opencast operation in any of these areas is likely to have unacceptable impacts.” Councillor Stuart Currie, leader of the council’s opposition SNP Group, questioned if there was any need for an area for opencast coal extraction in the county to be considered.

He said: “In the previous local plan, we were required to identify sites for opencast coal mining. We took the view we were not going to identify a site on the basis that if you identify a site, how do you then argue against it?” He said the SNP was previously against identifying sites and would continue to stick with that view.

“Once you start saying ‘here is a potential site’, people will come back and say ‘that will do nicely’,” he added.

Iain McFarlane, planning services manager, stressed it was necessary to include the details in the report.

He added: “I think there is a concern about perceiving this map as an area of search as being a given; it is not a given.

“It’s part of an overall document, which is looking at alternatives to development in East Lothian.

“We have to in the MIR process look at every reasonable prospect but that does not mean we are approving it.”