SUPPORTING a council masterplan for the future of the former Cockenzie Power Station has becoming like “flogging a dead horse”, it was claimed this week.
Cockenzie and Port Seton Community Council has backed East Lothian Council’s ‘visionary’ plan for the site since it was published nearly four years ago.
The Cockenzie Masterplan was drawn up following public consultation at a cost of £150,000 but the local authority refused calls from the community council to adopt it, instead insisting it was a ‘visionary document’.
Four years on, the site, which is owned by the council, remains undeveloped, with the only approved plans for the land a controversial substation, branded a “giant shed”, which will allow Inch Cape Offshore Limited to bring power from an offshore windfarm onto the land to feed into the National Grid.
And at a meeting this week, community council chairman Bryan Hickman said that the support appeared to have got the community nowhere.
He said: “We have supported the masterplan over the years for this site and to a certain extent appear to be flogging a dead horse. It is not being adopted by the council.”
He was speaking as representatives of an alternative proposal for the site, the 360 Centre, attended the virtual meeting to discuss their ideas.
READ MORE: Eden-style project for Cockenzie
The community-led project was sparked by Jill des Fresnes, who is employed by East Lothian Council to oversee Preston Seton Gosford heritage project Salt of the Earth.
She told the meeting that she was inspired while walking at the site and admiring the view out to sea.
She has been joined in the project by local artist Andrew Crummy, and other project members community councillor Shona Brash and Gareth Jones from the Waggonway Trust, also attended the meeting.
Ms des Fresnes said that the aim of the 360 Centre was to create a green education centre like the Eden Project in Cornwall which would reflect the area’s heritage and culture, as well as looking forward.
Among the ideas for the site would be giant statues, created by Mr Crummy, who has created a series of sculptures of women which would look out to sea and be large enough for people to go inside and climb.
The project is described as having a creative vision similar to the Eden Project but will be firmly rooted in the idea of renewable green energy.
It describes the centre as being built in a rewilded area which brings together the beauty of the area, its arts and culture, and industrial heritage.
The project remains at an early stage and the 360 Centre has approached East Lothian Council for funding support to carry out a feasibility study.
Ms des Fresnes told the community council: “It is not just community, it will have to be a partnership between communities, the council, private companies and environmental groups.
“But we have to make sure the community is at the heart of it.”
The community council unanimously agreed to shift support previously given to the Cockenzie Masterplan to the 360 Centre project.
A spokesperson for East Lothian Council said: “The masterplan for the former Cockenzie Power Station site was compiled following widespread community consultation.
"It was made clear from the very start of this process that that Masterplan would be a visionary document for the site based on the wishes and ideas of the local community and interested parties.
"Development of the site and wider surrounding area very much depends on whether it will be designated an area of national importance by the Scottish Government in their National Planning Framework NPF4 planning process, which is currently underway."
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