EAST Lothian Council has been ordered to respond to an appeal against its decision to refuse planning permission for a £15million visitor centre “as a matter of urgency” by Scottish Government officials.

National Museums of Scotland lodged an appeal over the rejection of its plans for a new centre at the National Museum of Flight, at East Fortune, with Scottish Ministers on May 21.

The plans were rejected over proposals to cut down 299 trees in an ancient woodland to allow the museum to move planes from its current base into the new centre.

An online petition has to date been signed by more than 6,000 people opposing the destruction of the trees.

But while more than 200 members of the public have lodged representations with the Scottish Government-appointed Reporter raising their objections to the museum plans, the local authority has still to submit its own response.

In a letter to the council dated June 26, a senior member of the planning appeals team urged the council to submit its response.

He said: “My case officer, Laura Walker, wrote to your council on May 27 intimating that your council had until  June 17 to respond.

“Ms Walker then wrote again to your council on June 22 intimating that your council’s response had not been received and was overdue, seeking its submission as a matter of priority.

“I am writing to you again to advise that your council’s submission is still overdue.

“As I’m sure you can appreciate, this is starting to impact on our ability to meet our target for determining this appeal.

“Can you please provide your response to this appeal as a matter of urgency?”

The Reporter has confirmed an unaccompanied site visit will be carried out at the site proposed for the centre before a decision will be made over whether any additional information is required or a public hearing held.

In its appeal statement to Scottish Ministers, National Museums of Scotland defended the need to fell the trees and said saplings would be planted to replace the lost woodland. It said:  “Tree removal is required to allow the decanting of large fixed-wing aircraft to the new building from their current locations.”

However, objectors have argued that an alternative site could still be found and the need to protect the woodland far outweighed the need for the new centre.

A spokesperson for East Lothian Council said the delay in submitting a response was due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

They said: “Because of the Covid-19 crisis, there has been enormous pressure on East Lothian Council colleagues in responding to the emergency and continuing to deliver essential services to our residents. We have been in contact with the DPEA (Planning and Environmental Appeals Division) in relation to timescales for our response to the appeal and we hope to have a formal response regarding the National Museum of Flight finalised next week.”

A petition to stop the museum plans to chop down the trees to allow them to move their planes into the new centre was launched earlier this year and is still gathering signatures.

It can be found at www.change.org/p/national-museums-of-scotland-stop-national-museums-of-scotland-killing-299-trees