East Lothian Council's Planning Committee has approved Levelling Up funded works at the former Cockenzie Power Station site.

The Committee also granted planning permission for a beer garden in Tranent and agreed details of 137 houses and 9 flats at Dolphingstone, which already had planning permission in principle.

As part of the Proposal of Application Notice, community consultation had been carried out in advance of the Cockenzie application being submitted. This included public events in Port Seton and Prestonpans.

The proposals refer to 37 hectares of land comprising the former Cockenzie Power Station site and the former power station coal store. Planning permission was sought for enabling works involving the relocation and regrading of materials from the bunds surrounding the former coal store for the creation of developable platforms on the site of the power station and coal store to allow for the construction of future development proposals.

Phase one would be undertaken over five months and phase two would be undertaken over nine months: Phase one involving the formation of a temporary haul road, the removal of most of the bunds around the coal store site and the transportation of bund to infill the site of the former power station; phase two involving the removal of another section of bund and associated infrastructure including a concrete coal conveyor tunnel and the re-grading of the coal store site with bund material.

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A total of 48 objections had been received, with the main grounds of objection being potential noise and dust, loss of wildlife and habitat, the potential disturbance of bats and the potential release of toxic materials including asbestos.

Committee members voted unanimously to support the officers' recommendation to approve the application. Conditions of the permission include a Dust Management Plan and Noise Management Plan as well as a detailed Remediation Statement which will demonstrate how the identified asbestos contamination will be dealt with in order to remove unacceptable risks. A Biodiversity Enhancement and Restoration Plan (BERP) will also be submitted in consultation with NatureScot, setting out in detail the habitat enhancement and compensatory measures to take place, including the provision of new artificial hibernation roosts for bats to be formed prior to the phase two works taking place.

Committee members also unanimously voted to approve a change of use of green space to form a beer garden at the Tower Inn, Church Street, Tranent. The application had been called off the Scheme of Delegation to allow for a full discussion to take place. Three representations had been received in relation to the application; one of which supported the application, one neither supported or objected and one objected on the grounds of the loss of an area of public park and the potential noise disruption to neighbouring houses. Extra conditions agreed at the meeting included that the beer garden cannot use amplified music or speech; it should not open longer than 11am to 8pm on any day and doors to the garden must be fitted with self-closing mechanisms that will be used at all times – all to protect the amenity of neighbouring properties. A fence and gate will also be painted or stained an agreed colour & a landscaping plan to reduce the impact of the fence and gate will be agreed in advance – both to safeguard the character and appearance of the Tranent Conservation Area.

It was unanimously agreed to approve the detail of new housing on part of the larger Wallyford mixed-use development site, at Dolphingstone, much of which is already complete or under construction. Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd now have permission to build 137 houses and nine flats on part of the site. The houses will range from two to five bed and the flats will all be two bedroom. A total of 28 of the houses and all of the flats will be affordable housing.