Parliament Workbench

Petition · PE01537 · Session 4

Proposed Energy Park at Cockenzie

Closed Submitted 9 Oct 2014 Environment & Energy
Signatures
1
2,571 online signatures with a country
Comments
212
Considered
4 meetings
in the Official Report

What it asks

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to abandon the proposal for the development of an Energy Park at Cockenzie, and ensure that any future proposals are subject to full public consultation and do not extend beyond the existing footprint of the former power station.

What the petitioner did first

Letters to Iain Gray, East Lothian MSP: Iain Gray MSP contacted and raised community concerns with Cabinet Secretary For Finance, Employment and Substainable Growth, John Swinney MSP
Letters to all ELC East Lothian Ward councillors bordering the proposed development: contacted by letter expressing deep community concerns” Out of 12 only 4 replied
Petition to East Lothian Council: rejected because “what is being sought is not within the power of East Lothian Council. The proposals are in the hands of Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Power and others”;
Meeting with Scottish Enterprise: unsuccessful as SE continue to drive forward with planned development regardless of community concerns expressed. SE also told us no discussions had taken place with Scottish Power, yet it is reported that all land belongs to Scottish Power;
Meeting with Inch Cape: informative but ultimately unsuccessful;
Meeting with Iain Gray MSP: Iain Gray, MSP sympathises with communities and their concern and opposes development, but powerless to stop it;
Community meetings: Community meetings have been held since July 2014 with numbers growing from 25 at first meeting to over 800 members of the community at most recent meeting in September and more than 4000 local signatures on petition supporting our community concerns;
Attendance at ELC Planning Committee meeting on Inch Cape (September 2014): CRA spoke to ask for a 2 month deferment of judgement on the battlesite development on local countryside land to enable CRA to seek a meeting with Scottish Power to establish why land currently unused on existing energy footprint at Cockenzie could not accommodate Inch Cape. Request unsuccessful;
Efforts to secure meeting with Scottish Power: SP Generation Director finally responding by email but refusing to meet whilst consideration to commercial approaches and options for the site being considered. Scottish Network planned to meet but cancelled meeting because "Scottish Generation dealing with matter". A meeting with SP has since been scheduled for late October 2014;
Contact with office of David Martin MEP to discuss proposals;
Public consultations: Vision gathering sessions held by Coastal Regeneration Alliance to enable the community to put forward their vision of the areas in question;
Press Releases issued weekly to local & national newspapers with support from press for the community;
Analysing petition signatures to demonstrate local feeling to community councils & secure Community Councils support for community action;
Contact & support from organisations linked to Battle Of Prestonpans;
Contact & advice from Greenpeace, Marine Conservation Society and Marinet of the dramatic effects of coastal dredging of the proposed deep water site and effects of local East Lothian beaches and also proposed Underground Coal Gasification drilling near our coastline;
Poems, songs & video presentations created to demonstrate extent of community concern and the positive & peaceful actions taken to voice this concern into public domain;
Pop-up stalls held weekly in local communities to provide information, petition and letter signing opportunities for those who are concerned and without online access;
Bumper stickers & #keepourcoast T-shirts produced & widely available locally;
Leaflets produced & delivered to premises immediately bordering proposed site initially, and now wider East Lothian county.

Where it was considered

Official Report
  1. 9 Dec 2014
    Public Petitions Committee
    New Petitions
    1 mention
  2. 3 Mar 2015
    Public Petitions Committee
    Current Petitions
    1 mention
  3. 28 Apr 2015
    Public Petitions Committee
    Continued Petitions
    1 mention
  4. 23 Jun 2015
    Public Petitions Committee
    Continued Petitions
    1 mention

Signatures by country

2,571 online signatures
  1. Scotland2,116 82.3%
  2. United Kingdom319 12.4%
  3. England80 3.1%
  4. New Zealand10 0.4%
  5. United States9 0.4%
  6. Australia8 0.3%
  7. Canada5 0.2%
  8. Northern Ireland4 0.2%
  9. Wales4 0.2%
  10. Ireland3 0.1%
  11. 9 other countries13 0.5%

Comments

212 comments, oldest first
212 comments · showing 1–50
  1. Gwen Stewart 10 Oct 2014
    We have done our time having the power station on our doorsteps move further down the coast to torness!!!
  2. Fiona Oliver 10 Oct 2014
    I live on the East Lothian coast because of it's wide open skies and open landscape
    - do not destroy our quality of life with this proposal. Our councillors should represent their communities not their own opinions.
  3. Deborah Thomson 10 Oct 2014
    Please do not destroy our coastline and our communities with these horrible proposals. Do something constructive to benefit the local people and the environment
  4. Jane 10 Oct 2014
    We moved to Cockenzie specifically because of all the fields & green space where we enjoy walking daily with our dogs. Please do not take that away, it would have massive impact on all of our quality of life.
  5. Susan Robertson 10 Oct 2014
    Please do not destroy the beauty that is in East Lothian. I have moved to this small community for the pleasure of both the countryside and the beautiful seashore with its thriving sealife.
  6. Tony Mitchell 10 Oct 2014
    Why this lack of local consultation?
  7. Rachel Marr 10 Oct 2014
    The proposed development will destroy the villages of Prestonpans, Cockenzie & Port Seton.
  8. Janis Laidlaw 10 Oct 2014
    The reason we moved to East Lothian was for the gorgeous beaches, walks and fantastic outdoor life we could offer our children. Please do not destroy this lifestyle for our future generations.
  9. Stuart Foley 10 Oct 2014
    Why we understand there has to be some some of energy producing facility on the current site of the old Cockenzie Power Station. I strongly object to the proposed monstrosity that is the Energy Park which will bring road, light and noise pollution into our beautiful coastal town #keepourcoast
  10. Kim O.Neill 10 Oct 2014
    We live in a beautiful place please dont spoil it, Torness would be more suitable as not so close to houses.
  11. Julie Davidson 10 Oct 2014
    disgraceful that a proposed energy plant will be bigger than the local town! We have had enough and done enough, let us have our heritage and coast line back
  12. Tom Buchanan 10 Oct 2014
    Although I have moved away, still want to go back from time to time, and I would like it to be as nice as it always was.
  13. Nikki Spence 10 Oct 2014
    I've lived in cockenzie 24 years. It's coastline is beautiful. Our sunsets are magnificent. There is so much more that can be in place other than an energy park. Tate Northern, marina, hotel, new primary and secondary school to name but a few. Please save and keep our coast!!
  14. Diane McGhie 10 Oct 2014
    Prestonpans has a historical battle ground that will be lost if this building goes ahead.
  15. william morris 10 Oct 2014
    This proposed energy park should not be anywhere around residential Holmes, the whole thing is a disgrace this is not why i have been backing Scottish politics it must not go ahead.
  16. janice wheelan 10 Oct 2014
    being brought up in Preston pans me and my family spent many happy times around cockenzie port seton setonsands it would be a great shame for the area to be changed beyond recognition
  17. Mandy Thomson 10 Oct 2014
    I was born and lived in Port Seton for almost 30 years. The people of Cockenzie, Port Seton, Prestonpans and the neighbouring villages and towns deserve better than this. This is not the answer, as it would ruin a beautiful part of East Lothian, and destroy the fishing industry in the area. The land should be given back to the people as a green area which they can enjoy. They deserve that much. X
  18. Keith Turnbull 10 Oct 2014
    This is a blatant over development proposal. Destroying local History and total disregard for residents livelihoods. Future site development should reflect the industrial heritage ie mining and power workers.
    east Lothian iconic chimneys should be preserved whatever the final outcome. Over 850 supporters in favour of retaining chimneys. Land could be used as a landing point for a hovercraft service and attract cross forth traffic
  19. Stuart young 10 Oct 2014
    Give us a place where we can take our families have fun and not be in fear of construction, huge traffic congestion. We want somewhere that our children can play safely and where we can keep the great history of this town.
  20. Robert McMath 10 Oct 2014
    This will change the entire area, for the worse. Publicly used green space, a historically important battle site and a locally important fishing industry will all be lost.
    Despite all these important points, my major objection to the proposals is the underhand, secretive way the proposal has been handled. Clearly the feelings and opinion of local people do not count for anything. Is this the kind of Scotland we want to live in? I think not.
  21. Nan Burns 10 Oct 2014
    I believe that there has to be a more suitable place for this to go. This area is used for families to enjoy, please do not spoil it.
  22. Elaine Sunter 10 Oct 2014
    An energy park of the volume proposed should not be built so close to a residential area
  23. Fiona Ritchie 10 Oct 2014
    Signed&shared
  24. fiona schulte 10 Oct 2014
    Apart from changing the whole coastal landscape and Industries ie fishing ,we have a small private day nursery directly opposite the planned area .Is this is a suitable position for under fives to play in.Clearly the care of East lothian local children is not in the mind of the develpopers and planners .Lets hope it is in the minds of those in the Scottish parliament.
  25. Ian Wright Malcolm 10 Oct 2014
    We have come to enjoy our walks, up and down the coast, plus the amount of outsiders that travels down through Prestonpans, Cockenzie & Port Seton to take in the beautiful scenery of our coast, and to have this taken away would be a disaster.
  26. Terry Kirkwood 10 Oct 2014
    This 'Energy Park' will be a death knell to a whole community, history and would leave a lasting legacy by the Scottish Government that people dont matter, history doesn't matter! I will not be bought that this project will bring jobs!!! It will cause financial ruin to all households in a huge area who will have no protection to the massive drop in house prices. That is just the tip of iceberg for the cataclysmic destruction to the Sunshine County of Scotland. There will be no Golf Coast Road, it will simply be an industrial coast!
  27. Anna Tinline 10 Oct 2014
    This proposal is not acceptable to the locals. Thus should be listened to. There are very good reasons for this.
  28. Andrew Hillhouse 10 Oct 2014
    It is shameful that East Lothian Council should even consider these proposals. They have shown an utter contempt for the areas which would be affected which is breathtaking. Surely, the councillors who have helped these applications on their way should hang their heads and shame. They will reap the hurricane.
  29. Karen Campbell 10 Oct 2014
    The community living here have so many positive ideas for our local area. Please hear our voices and help us plan a positive space & facilities for future generations. There is so much of historical & environmental interest here. To lose our coastline to this proposal, which belongs away from homes & communities, would be devastating to us but even more devastating to generations to come. What a disappointing legacy to leave.
  30. Jane Ballantine 10 Oct 2014
    How any one could consider such a development in the middle of a large community must be mad!!! They can't have any regard for the health and well being of that said community. If it goes ahead I will swap houses with whoever allowed such a travesty and see if they like their new environment.
  31. Donna Rodgers 10 Oct 2014
    I've watched the environmental impact on the coastline in Prestonpans for the past 48 years. Slowly the beach has begun to recover from years of mining, at least 3 species of amber endangered sea birds have returned to the area, dolphins have been spotted in our area, and the odd seal comes ashore now. My point is this
    - if the area has become healthier for wildlife, then it has to have become healthier for the people who live here. Dredging channels, and building industries which have an environmental impact on the people who live here is just wrong. We've had our share of heavy industry in Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton, it's someone else's turn now.
  32. Ian eeles 10 Oct 2014
    why has nobody approached msp Fergus ewing and Scottish enterprise to explain their unauthorized actions?
  33. Diane Whyte 10 Oct 2014
    We need to save our coast, keep our chimneys, save our beaches, keep our fishing communities, save our battle of prestonpans history, keep our only green space that we have (Greenhills) develope something for the local communities & the tourist trade, most of all though save our wild life we have so many different species in water, land & sky that use our area that will be lost forever!!!!
  34. kevin scott 10 Oct 2014
    Horrendous proposal, killing a beautiful and stunning coastline, we will lose lovely areas for dog walking etc
  35. Gill Glancy 10 Oct 2014
    Horrendous, Never in a Million years should this destruction of our coast go ahead, :(
  36. JOE DEVINE 10 Oct 2014
    WOULD YOU LIKE THIS MONSTROCITY ON YOUR DOODSTEP?
  37. Gerard Quinn 10 Oct 2014
    Strong in numbers united we stand
  38. Annie Gordon 10 Oct 2014
    Let common sense prevail over corporate greed.
  39. J Strachan 10 Oct 2014
    In a conversation yesterday with a friend, we realised we had very few places in Prestonpans to socialise, take our families and friends, spend money! Why not create restaurants, leisure and play facilities, shops etc? It would create a lot more jobs for the locals and put money into local economy. Without destroying a historic site and our beautiful coastline.
  40. Stuart Duff 10 Oct 2014
    The proposed energy park is colossal and will divide the local communities of Prestonpans and Cockenzie. The local main road will close and traffic will be rerouted along smaller village roads which is both dangerous and inadequate. The increase in jobs will be offset by the loss of jobs and the impact on the local industries will be devastating and life changing to say the least. The proposals also include building on the historic battle of Prestonpans site where grave pits are located, the ground is sacred to their memory and the bloody battle the Jacobites fought, Once it is gone the history and asset will be lost forever and cannot be reclaimed. The green space is widely used by people from all over the area and afar and to steal it from the community is an utter disgrace and theft. Please please please consider the local community and the people who have lived and died in the name of Scotland, Cockenzie and Port Seton.
  41. Alyssa 10 Oct 2014
    Save our coast!!
  42. Caroline Walker 10 Oct 2014
    My son has done a huge project on John Muir last yeast. To destroy such a hoge part of out heritage by taking away the walkway would be a sacrilege. Not forgetting the horrendous impact this will have on a thriving seaside village. There's miles and miles of countryside that would be able to accommodate something like this without causing total devastation!
  43. Yvonne Reekie 10 Oct 2014
    I really want the East Coast to remain a quiet and beautiful part of the country not spoilt by a massive industrial area which will ruin our quality of life !
  44. John Lyon 10 Oct 2014
    Consent to use greenfield land for the onshore site for Inchcape windfarm so that the area can be used to light up the local area 24hrs 7 days a week 365 days a year to assemble wind turbines which are currently being made at Methil
    - at approx. 25 percent capacity doesn't make scense which ever way you lok at it.
  45. Elaine Anderson 10 Oct 2014
    The scale of the proposed development is not suited directly next to a densely populated residential area.
  46. Andrea Stewart 10 Oct 2014
    I am passionate about East Lothian.and wish to see this stunningly beautiful area preserved for generations to enjoy. The people and the communities of East Lothian have a right to decide and determine what is built in their area.
  47. Stuart Holden 11 Oct 2014
    The Scottish people have recently found their voice but will the Scottish Parliament listen to that voice?
    the vast majority of the people who live here do not want to find themselves in the middle of an industrial estate with their coast, their heritage and their livelihoods brushed aside. Listen to us!
  48. Joan Dickson 11 Oct 2014
    Have we not had enough of dirt & noise for over 40 years from the power station let us enjoy our beautiful coast and adjoining countryside in peace without another bigger noisier and uglier monstrosity on the doorstep!
  49. Lynne killin 11 Oct 2014
    Leave our east coast alone it is beautiful as it is!!
  50. April Nelson 11 Oct 2014
    The impact of this proposed development on the local communities appears to be of little consequence to those proposing it
    - probably because its not going to impact them personally. It does impact those of us who live here effectively cutting the communities off from one another with little regard for the impact this has on people who live here or the environment. Full proper consultation with a genuine desire to listen and act our views and concerns is urgently required