Having attended the consultation meeting and read the EIA Scoping Report by Ironside Farrar, I am writing to strongly oppose the proposal for the Cockenzie Energy Park.

The proposal encompasses quite a substantial square mileage of local land and impacts on many communities – Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton, Tranent, Macmerry and Longniddry – and a new one at Blindwells.

This part of East Lothian, the west, has been subject to in excess of 150 years of industrialisation, with the inevitable environmental impact this brings.

The proposed site itself has had Links and Meadowmill Collieries, Cockenzie Power Station and Blindwells Opencast Mine. This does not take into account the railway workings at Meadowmill and the Blue Knowe in Prestonpans, nor Prestongrange Colliery and Brickworks, nor the brewery and soapworks.

The area has recovered in part from these and will further do so with the demolishing of the power station. To then subject the area to this energy park and the inevitable environmental impact it will have is surely not in our, nor the environment’s, best interest.

The report acknowledges the impact on both land and marine habitat with “Large scale plant infrastructure and shipping”, the “Heavy load route”, the fact that both the B1348 and Edinburgh Road will be re-aligned. The report also makes mention of “large HGV traffic”, “cranes and lighting” to allow “24/7” working.

A local community councillor has stated he believes it is a good thing and that we have lived with “an eyesore” for years so another one won’t matter. He also claims that thousands of jobs will be created – an exaggeration at best and possibly totally inaccurate. The only ‘thousands’ affected will be the local communities, with the noise and air pollution caused by these works and traffic and the perpetual daylight caused by the lighting required to allow this 24/7 working.

The report also makes mention that the material used for the land reclamation will be sourced locally, but does not say from where. Another large hole in the ground? In the ‘Garden of Scotland’, an ELC strapline, I believe.

The John Muir Way, the Government’s much-vaunted coast to coast walk, will be re-located – given the size and scope of the site – quite a distance.

Also the impact on our major tourism – golf, –will be substantial, as this site sits directly on the again much-vaunted Scotland’s Golf Coast road. The council admits that this brings millions of pounds into East Lothian. Do they honestly believe that having this eyesore visible from the many worldwide iconic courses situated a few miles away will have no impact on visitors?

The site is also a national historic site, the Battle of Prestonpans, and is listed in the Battlefields of Scotland. Whatever happened to the proposed visitor centre for the battlefield?

I would urge our councillors, MP and MSP, and community councils to object and refuse the planning permission for this. But I do not hold my breath, given our council’s historic track record of acts of vandalism to our historic past.

For instance: Preston Lodge School demolished and sold off; Port Seton Pond Hall and pool demolished; the stables in Prestonpans demolished to make way for a supermarket car park; Schaw’s Hospital/Mary Murray Institute demolished; Castle Park House demolished.

Environmentally we have recently seen the flood plains at Lowes Market Gardens and the Blue Knowe on the Mid Road being built on, with the inevitable knock-on effect.

Another point of interest is the renewable energy site at East Wemyss, directly across the Forth, is too close and the work transferred to another site. What makes this proposal any better or acceptable than that one?

Jim Kinross Hawthorn Terrace Cockenzie