Controversial plans to build 300 homes on farmland between Musselburgh and Prestonpans have been rejected after a reporter ruled they would cause “significant erosion of the green belt”. The proposal by Barratt David Wilson (BDW) for Goshen Farm was appealed to Scottish Ministers after East Lothian Council failed to make a decision on the 2018 application.
Local community councils objected, citing traffic problems, pressure on GP services, and overcrowded rail services. Musselburgh and Inveresk Community Council chair Irene Tait said one local surgery has over 20,000 patients and that rush-hour ScotRail services are known as the ‘Sardine Express’. Prestonpans Community Council chair Brian Weddell noted the lack of a health centre in Wallyford.
The reporter agreed with objections, stating the development would represent a significant encroachment into the countryside east of Musselburgh. Developers argued a housing shortfall justified the plans, but the reporter said even if a legal challenge to housing calculations succeeded, the benefits would not outweigh the impact on communities.
East Lothian Council’s party leaders had also urged refusal. Councillor Stuart Currie welcomed the decision, saying he had not found a single constituent who supported the plan and that it sends a clear signal that communities value green space.
