AMBITIOUS alternative plans for the site of a proposed energy park have been revealed, as a bid to buy the land for the community is considered.

Scottish Enterprise is keen to develop an energy park on the land surrounding the former Cockenzie Power Station.

However, the Coastal Regeneration Alliance (CRA), a group set up in opposition to the proposed energy park, has now unveiled its own vision for the 11-hectare site, with its centre piece a community facility encompassing an art gallery at the former power station itself.

A spokesman for the CRA was remaining tight-lipped on funding but confirmed that approaches had been made to various organisations as the group looked to move the idea forward.

The community vision is divided into six sections and at the heart of it would be transforming the power station into a national arts venue and an area for shopping, as well as a heritage museum and performance arenas, called ‘Athena’.

Richard Demarco, former director of the Edinburgh Festival, is one of those leading the calls for a ‘Tate Modern’ of Scotland. He said: “This is the coastline which inspired arguably one of Britain’s greatest painters, John Bellany.

“He deserves to have a large-scale space for his paintings to be shown in perpetuity under the roof of this great building.

“There would also be room to properly exhibit the magnificent tapestries designed by Andrew Crummy and made by countless numbers of Scottish needle-workers, commemorating the historic victory of the Jacobites on the battlefield of Prestonpans.” Other aspects of the building could include a swimming pool and gymnasium.

Outside, plans for a three-harbour boardwalk linking Port Seton, Cockenzie and Prestonpans, stretching from Cockenzie Harbour in the east to Morrison’s Haven, west of Prestonpans, are also included.

The vision states that fresh fish and locally sourced seafood delicacies could be sold at the eastern end, with seaside pottery also available to buy through specially organised markets.

Shops and restaurants could also be created, with telescopes and history boards along the route.

A CRA spokesman said: “The approach to the project is to do it in phases. Some things will be years in coming while other things will be more prioritised. The kind of things we would prioritise would be the boardwalk; it would be number one.” The area, to the west of the former power station, would include a children’s play park, as well as a barbecue area and battle information boards and memorials on the first engagement over Britain of the Second World War, when Spitfires shut down a German bomber off the coast of Port Seton.

Development southwards could also be divided into “various uses”, including market gardens/allotments and light industrial units.

Finally, the most southern site, on the field of the Battle of Prestonpans, “a peaceful and natural memorial garden will be established to respect the battlefield dead”.

The 24-page community vision suggests: “The bulk of the battlefield will be re-instated as farmland, as it was used previously.

“The whole of the south and the rest of the vision site will be served by a branch railway line, running along the existing rail spur from Prestonpans to Cockenzie.

“This will be operated by an external franchise, using eco-friendly, economic to run light-railway units. The line will link Cockenzie with the mainline services at Prestonpans and will benefit both commuters and visitors to the attractions of the area.” The CRA has began to explore various funding options and other options, including Community Right to Buy.

It has been suggested that the dormant Seton Fields Community Company (SFCC) – set up several years ago to deliver a community vision for the field adjacent to Seton Sands Caravan Park – could be adapted and used as a vehicle to allow CRA to further its push for community safeguard and enhancement issues.

The vision was due to be discussed at a meeting at Chalmers Memorial Church in Port Seton on Wednesday evening.

The proposed energy park would build and repair wind turbines for the offshore windfarm industry and could stretch as far inland from the former power station site as to the former opencast mining site at Blindwells – where a major new settlement has long been planned – as well as requiring a deep water quay to be built, reclaiming more than 11 hectares of land to create it.

Despite the potential for a major jobs boost, significant concerns have been expressed by many residents, including the impact on the Greenhills and surrounding amenities, people’s quality of life and the impact of heavy machinery and traffic operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Neither Scottish Enterprise nor ScottishPower, which owns the power station land, were available for comment.