A GRASSROOTS vision for a climate change centre and giant fisherwomen statues at the former Cockenzie Power Station site has been given up to £30,000 to develop its case, despite concerns over a lack of widespread community support.

East Lothian councillors unanimously backed a call from their development officers to pledge the money for a feasibility study into the Cockenzie 360 Project.

However, concerns were raised over a lack of engagement with neighbouring community councillors, with warnings it must not “build a wall” between communities.

And one councillor described herself as “uncomfortable” with pledging public money to the project, which was described by the local authority’s head of development as a “broad-ranging project that they have in their heads”.

The community-led project was sparked by Dr Jill des Fresnes, who is employed by East Lothian Council to oversee Preston Seton Gosford heritage project Salt of the Earth.

It produced its vision document in March with a climate change education centre, giant statues on public space looking out to sea – which would be big enough for people to go inside and climb as viewing platforms – and the rewilding of surrounding land.

It is the latest community vision to be put forward for the site since its famous twin chimneys were demolished in 2015.

East Lothian Council bought the former power station and surrounding land from ScottishPower three and a half years ago and sees it as an important economic site for the county.

However, to date the only concrete proposals for the 230-acre site have been for two substation buildings to bring offshore energy onto land and into the National Grid.

The latest study will be the third time that the council has investigated potential plans for the site, taking the total spent to more than £200,000.

In 2017, the council produced a £150,000 masterplan for the former power station site which it described as a “visionary document” for its future after public consultation.

Last year, it produced a feasibility study into a proposed port or cruise terminal at the site at a cost of about £25,000.

At a virtual meeting of councillors on Tuesday, Michaela Sullivan, head of development, said of the 360 Project: “It is quite a broad-ranging project that they have in their heads and I think the feasibility study will help them narrow it down to what might be realistic.

“Everyone is aware that the scale of development they are looking at is not something the council could fund, they will need to find other funds.”

Ward councillor Fiona O’Donnell raised concerns that the people involved had not established a formal constitutionalised group with a governance structure.

And she asked council officers to ensure that the group engaged with Prestonpans Community Council, which also sits next to the site, adding that "engagement hasn’t taken place yet and I think it will be really important”.

Councillor Jane Henderson said she was confused by the request for funding coming before any work was ready to commence, adding: “We are actually pledging council money so I am slightly uncomfortable.”

While Councillor Stuart Currie warned: “What is important is that any project has widespread backing. What we can’t have is building walls between communities.”

However, Councillor Norman Hampshire, council leader, said that while questions remained over the project, they would only be answered with a feasibility study.

He said: “The idea will have to be seen alongside all the other potential development at Cockenzie and the council’s commitment is to create as many employment opportunities as we can on that site and the project will have to be judged alongside that.

“It doesn’t mean to say that this particular project couldn’t fit onto this site somewhere or somewhere in this locality that was viable.

“I think the project is interesting and I would like to see how viable it is for East Lothian.”

Councillors unanimously approved funding of up to £30,000 for a feasibility study into the project to go ahead.

Former Prestonpans Community Council chairman Brian Weddell said that he was “staggered” by the council decision to fund the group, warning that officers might have gone beyond their legal duty.

He said: “I am staggered council officers have recommended giving funding to a group that don’t appear to be properly constituted or registered with OSCR.

“Do they even have a bank account?

"I would have thought that if East Lothian Council wanted to support a feasibility study they would initiate and manage this through the council’s procurement process, as they did with the port engineering study.

“They risk falling foul of Audit Scotland and could even commit ultra vires expenditure in the eyes of the law.”

A spokesperson for the council said: “The 360 Group is a grassroots community organisation that has worked with a major infrastructure consultancy, AECOM, to bring forward a vision to draw a positive legacy for their community from the former Cockenzie Power Station site, with a focus on climate change and with the potential to generate employment and investment in East Lothian.

“The interesting and topical nature of the proposal and the level of commitment shown by the group has led to the council voting to support a feasibility study to allow the group to explore the project’s potential further.

“As with most grassroots community groups, the 360 Group has no formal structure, so council officers will work with the group to ensure that the appointment of advisers to take the project to the next stage is managed appropriately.”