Can anyone explain East Lothian Council’s illogical decision to recommend approval of burger chain McDonald’s application to build a 24-hour drive-thru in Tesco Musselburgh’s car park, next to the most congested roundabout in the county?

Why obedience to the will of Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket/land banking conglomerate and its aggressive alliance with the planet’s biggest takeaway empire? What happened to sustainability or compliance?

To cover themselves, council planners sought second traffic and pollution assessments. Not only will this fast food factory, with its 101 tables and three serving hatches, have no adverse impact on transport, parking, the environment or community amenity, it will actually solve existing problems!

Thanks to 48 solicited reports using wizard modelling, this McDonald’s will speed traffic flow by 2024; likewise, any noise pollution on bad nights will be limited to one decibel. Phew! Advanced computer simulations prove that nitrogen dioxide and particle pollution will be “negligible”.

The computer also says the average speed at Tesco roundabout, once this “service station” opens, will be 20kph increasing to 30kph on the approaches. Yes folks, it’s a magic roundabout.

The main report doesn’t quite say McDonald’s is the answer to obesity and junk food addiction but comes close with descriptions of an exciting range of salads.

No doubt these will feature prominently in the lunchtime ads pinged to smartphones at the Grammar from the predatory grease pit four minutes away.

Teachers and PTAs remain silent because they are not free to speak but others have been less restrained. Parents, residents, our MP, MSP, Labour and SNP councillors, our community council, our area partnership and a multitude of civic groups have unanimously expressed their total opposition at length.

Tesco, which closed Ali’s Cave and the last High Street butchers and fishmongers, now threatens the Caprice, other local restaurants, cafes and takeaways.

Also, is Scotland’s most important medieval bridge to be blighted for ever more by the ubiquitous burger symbol bathing it in a sickly neon yellow?

Tragically, 200 local objectors and 1,300 petitioners have less value than the share value of these gigantic corporations.

There is no appeal: we can only trust the planning committee to halt this grotesque capitulation and betrayal.

Fraser McAllister

Musselburgh