Community councillors in Tranent have expressed concern at plans to reduce the number of local authority councillors in East Lothian.

The Boundary Commission has suggested that East Lothian should lose two councillors, which would see the number of members cut from 23 to 21 despite the county’s growing population.

And at a meeting of Tranent and Elphinstone Community Council (TECC), group chairman Colin Martin said the moves “were not right”, while stating that the county should have more councillors, rather than fewer.

He told the meeting, attended by just one of the Fa’side ward’s four councillors, that there was “only one councillor here tonight because they are all busy at other engagements”.

Those views were echoed by fellow community councillor Robert McNeill, a former East Lothian councillor, who said: “Fa’side is the biggest ward in East Lothian and there is only so much that one councillor can do.” He said TECC should take part in the public consultation concerning the possible changes.

Ward councillor Donald Grant, the only ward member able to attend the meeting, confirmed that East Lothian Council had prepared a response to the Boundary Commission.

The public consultation into councillor numbers closed last Thursday, with consultation with councils on ward boundaries expected to begin in early 2015.