LAST week, I met with a number of residents who voiced concerns about the controversial plans for a development of up to 150 new homes on the outskirts of East Linton.

Initial proposals focus on a 9ha site to the north of Preston Road, on the eastern edge of the village and were submitted to East Lothian Council at the end of October.

Locals are quite rightly upset and surprised by even more proposed developments because the village is already seeing just over 100 homes built at the Orchardfield site.

Locals voiced concern about access in and out of the village past the kirk and over the bridge, with little room to widen the narrow road because the river runs alongside it.

These developments come at a time when confusion still remains as to whether the East Linton station will be re-opened. These proposals therefore are yet another example of planning taking precedence over infrastructure needs.

For 10 years, the residents of East Linton have campaigned for the re-opening of the station. With question marks over whether the station will come and infrastructure already stretched to capacity, even more housing is on its way to East Linton regardless.

This is the same story across East Lothian. Local communities are fighting hard just for their concerns to be heard. East Lothian already sees transports links at capacity, long waits to see a GP appointment and congestion on our local high streets. The issue is, and I have raised this with the First Minister, that there is no sign of infrastructure improvements before any new housing comes. The uncertainty only increases anxiety and fears over the housing coming to East Lothian.

Perhaps the answer lies in the document that sets out the development requirements for East Lothian. The SESplan’s Supplementary Guidance on Housing Land identifies that, for East Lothian, land capable of delivering 10,050 homes will be needed up to 2024, with an interim requirement for land capable of delivering 6,250 homes up to 2019. An adequate five-year effective housing land supply is to be maintained at all times.

It’s important that communities across the county get further clarification on the additional requirement for housing that isn’t currently allocated. If the current LDP isn’t sufficient to meet requirement, then why hasn’t a longer-term plan been set out? Residents in East Lothian must be made aware of proposals for new developments through good lines of communication.

However, only this month the East Lothian Courier reported of a “slap in the face to local democracy”. East Lothian Council’s planning committee approved plans for 90 new homes for housing on Beveridge Row, between Belhaven and West Barns – this, despite widespread community concern from local residents. This only highlights the problems local residents face, for it seems concerns simply are not being listened to or even acknowledged.