MUSSELBURGH’S councillors have joined forces in a bid to stop a McDonald’s being built in the town.

Members of East Lothian Council’s planning committee rejected plans last summer from the global fast food chain for a restaurant to be built in the car park of the town’s Tesco store.

McDonald’s, which says the eaterie would create 65 part-time and full-time jobs, has now appealed that ruling to the Scottish Government in an attempt to see the decision overturned.

Musselburgh councillors Stuart Currie and John Williamson (SNP), Andy Forrest (Labour) and Katie Mackie (Conservative) are united in their opposition to the plans.

A letter signed by the four ward members has been sent to the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA).

It highlights the level of opposition from members of the community against the scheme.

The letter notes that a community coming together to express their views on proposals which they believe will affect the town and environment “expect their views to be listened to and respected by those in authority”.

More than 150 objections from a variety of groups were received before the plans were considered by the council committee.

The letter reads: “The application resulted in us being contacted by concerned residents on a scale surpassing any previous local planning applications.

“One-hundred-and-sixty letters of representation, of which 157 opposed the proposal, were submitted direct to the council, including representations from:

  • Local residents;
  • School parent councils;
  • Musselburgh and Inveresk Community Council;
  • Musselburgh Grammar School;
  • The Fisherrow Centre;
  • Inveresk Village Society;
  • Musselburgh Area Partnership, which represents all sections of the community.

“There was also a petition [www.change.org/p/east-lothian-council-no-mcdonald-s-in-musselburgh] against the proposal, which at the time of the planning committee meeting on August 18, 2020, had amassed 1,420 signatures and currently stands at 1,437 signatures.

“This equates to around eight per cent of the adult population of Musselburgh.

“All of the objections received were fully detailed in the planning officer’s assessment of the application and the speakers against the proposal made valid and reasoned arguments for refusal:

  • Increased traffic congestion;
  • Environmental impact;
  • Proximity to local secondary school, to name a few.”

The councillors noted that one of the main reasons for rejecting the proposals was concern about increased traffic congestion.

The letter continues: “The traffic surveys carried out on behalf of the applicant provide data from counts undertaken on only two days in June 2019 – not a realistic level of counts given the known traffic problems in the area.

“The area in question from Olive Bank Road along to the Mall does not have particular ‘peak’ traffic times. Traffic build-up and congestion at the roundabout at Tesco happens at all times of the day.”

Originally, council planners recommended that the scheme be approved but councillors voting for its refusal.

The planning officer’s report examined the potential for increased traffic.

The report said: “At the request of the council’s road services and planning service, the applicant has undertaken a traffic network modelling exercise to predict the traffic impact on the local road network as a result of the proposed development, to be read in conjunction with the submitted transport assessment.

“The traffic modelling concludes that there would be no adverse impact on the operation of the local road network as a result of increased traffic arising from the use of the proposed development. The council’s road services advise that they accept the conclusions of the traffic network modelling exercise, that the traffic impact associated with the proposed development would be minimal and there would be no adverse impact on the operation of the local highway network.”

Musselburgh MSP Colin Beattie has also written to the Scottish Government to object to the appeal.

McDonald’s maintains that there will be “no increased congestion as there is no existing capacity or congestion issue and there would be no material impact on the operation of the road network due to the McDonald’s traffic”.