HC Deb 04 March 1980 vol 980 cc175-6W
Mr. John Home Robertson

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received concerning the planning consent for the development of 363 houses at Spilmersford in Pencaitland, East Lothian; and if he will review his decision on this matter.

Mr. Rifkind

The Secretary of State has not yet decided the appeal against the deemed refusal, by East Lothian district council, of detailed planning permission for a housing development at Easter Pencaitland. Before doing so he had to be satisfied that an outline planning permission for development of the site, granted in 1967 by the then planning authority, East Lothian county council, still subsists. Following a public local inquiry, the Secretary of State has concluded that it does subsist and he has advised the parties accordingly. He can now proceed to deal with the appeal, and this will probably necessitate a further public local inquiry.

Representations against the proposed development were received in October 1976 from the Pencaitland community council in the form of a petition of 540 signatures and more recently from the chairman of the Pencaitland and Ormiston branch of the Berwick and East Lothian Conservative Association and from a local resident.