Planning Committee approves temporary park and ride in Dunbar
East Lothian Planning Committee met on Tuesday 2 June and heard two applications; the car park in Dunbar and a new house in Prestonpans.
Metlen Energy and Metals applied for permission for the temporary, five year, park and ride facility on land to the south of Spott Road Industrial Estate. It was recommended for approval by planners but called off the Scheme of Delegation by Councillor Collins, due to local concerns around road safety.
The development will provide 261 parking spaces, cycle parking and bus stops to serve staff employed in the construction of the convertor station that is an integral part of the Scottish Power upgrade of the east coast electricity grid - the Eastern Link 1(EGL1) project – at Oxwellmains, which has planning permission.
This project will need a substantial workforce but it is not possible to accommodate adequate parking onsite, therefore the off-side park and ride facility is required. The proposal states that the facility will operate 6am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 6.30am to 3.30pm weekends, with around four round trip bus journeys each day.
A total of 12 objections had been received and both Dunbar and West Barns Community Councils had also objected. Reasons included increased traffic and congestion and concerns about what might happen to the site after the five year permission period.
Following a debate, members unanimously approved the plans with additional conditions including a traffic management plan to be submitted and approved in advance of development by the applicant; a biodiversity enhancement plan also to be submitted and approved in advance of development and that any change to the existing condition that the site be returned to its original state after five years, be approved by the planning authority.
Members also approved, 10 votes to one, to grant permission for a new build house in garden ground of a property on Polwarth Terrace, Prestonpans. The application had been called of the Scheme of Delegation by Councillor Gilbert due to concerns from the community council and neighbours. The detached house would be part single storey, part one and a half storeys, with its own driveway. It sits just outside the Prestonpans Conservation Area. Two letters of objection had been received raising concerns about noise, disruption and loss of privacy. Prestonpans Community Council also objected.
The relevant application numbers are Dunbar, 25/00947/P and Prestonpans, 26/00346/P.