Former Cockenzie Power Station

The former power station site was acquired by the council in 2018 to support ambitions to promote economic growth and create employment opportunities. The vision for the site was established through a community-based masterplanning project and the ambitions identified to bring employment investment and jobs to the area, as well as enhance the public areas along the waterfront, remain our vision for the site.

It is important to recognise that large brownfield former industrial sites of this type are very complex and take a long time to come forward. Significant technical work has been taking place to fully understand and plan for the necessary infrastructure and environmental, economic and sustainability work needed to support the site's development. We have successfully worked with the Scottish Government to gain support for the regeneration of the site through the National Planning Framework.

Enabling works and link road

The UK Government announced on 18 January 2023 that East Lothian Council had been successful in its £11.3M bid for economic regeneration funding (formerly known as Levelling Up). The council will be contributing £1.2M (10%) to the cost of the works. The basis of the bid is to undertake site preparation and remediation works at the Cockenzie site, to allow for future employment development. These works include:

• removal of the earthwork bunds currently surrounding the coal store
• using that bund material to re-grade and level the area where the power station stood
• re-grading other parts of the coal store to increase the area for beneficial development
• repair of the sea wall
• improvement works to the John Muir Way through the site

Planning permission was granted for  proposals covering the first three bullet points above. 

Following planning consent, we are in the process of submitting material to fulfil planning conditions. The Council, through our delivery partner Hub South East, appointed Balfour Beatty to undertake the works. They will take place in two phases, starting in September 2024 with transfer of the bund material. This will involve using 175,000 cubic metres of material (mainly gravel, sand and clay) that made up the bunds surrounding the former coal store to infill the void where the power station was situated. This first phase is expected to be complete by Spring 2025.

Phase 2 of the works (estimated to start in Spring 2025) will involve demolition of the concrete structures within the coal store will also be demolished and the material retained for future construction use.  Remaining bund material will be used to regrade the coal store site, essentially making a level platform to allow for future development.

Using the bund material to infill the void in the former power station site is a sustainable approach rather than importing material from elsewhere. To minimise disturbance, material from the bunds will be transported in trucks using a temporary road to avoid having to route the trucks via the memorial junction in Cockenzie.

Conditions of the permission include a Dust Management Plan Noise Management Plan as well as a detailed Remediation Statement which will demonstrate how the identified low level asbestos risk  will be dealt be dealt with as part of the works - there is no risk to the public or on site workers as a result of these proposals.

In advance of phase 2 of the works 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.

Design work on the on the Sea Wall and John Muir Way is underway and will be subject to separate proposals.

Display information that was used for the Pre-Planning Application events is available here

We are also making our Economic Regeneration fund application form publicly available - with minor redactions due to commercial sensitivity.

Economic Regeneration Fund application

Reports to June 2022 Council and the August 2022 Members Library on the Levelling Up Fund Bid are also available. The planning application is also available on the Planning Portal. 

Link Road Proposal

Also via Hub South East, Balfour Beatty will also be constructing a new link road through this site that was granted planning permission in 2022. The road will link the Alder Road junction on the B6371 approach to Cockenzie with the existing B1348 road. Much of the route will follow an existing service road to the former coal plant and be complemented by a lane, largely set back from the main roadway, to encourage safe walking and cycling. Works will also start in September and are expected to finish in August 2025. Building the road at the same time as the enabling works will shorten any period of disruption and result in cost efficiencies have the same contractor undertake both projects.

National Planning Framework 4

The Scottish Government's National Planning Framework 4, adopted by the Scottish Government in February 2023, identifies the Cockenzie site to generate employment and provide essential infrastructure for net zero. This gives more flexibility than the previous designation for thermal electricity generation and accords with the Council's vision for future development at the site.

Energy Developments

In 2019, planning permission in principle was granted to Inch Cape Offshore Ltd for an onshore substation, electricity cables and associated infrastructure on part of the former power station site. Detailed planning permission for that project then followed along with the signing of a land agreement between Inch Cape and East Lothian Council. The electricity generated by the offshore wind turbines will be brought to shore on the western section of the former power station site before it enters the national grid. Enabling works for the project were completed in autumn 2023 and construction of the substation began in January 2024. It is expected to take approximately two years to complete. A temporary diversion to the John Muir Way will be necessary during part of Inch Cape's works for approximately nine months from autumn 2024 to summer 2025. The map below shows the detail of the diversion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In August 2021, the council's Planning Committee unanimously approved outline planning permission for Seagreen to construct an electricity substation on another part of the site, taking power from an offshore windfarm and feeding it into the National Grid, with associated underground cabling. Detailed planning permission was granted in August 2023 but a firm development timeline remains to be confirmed Works are not expected to start until at least 2026 as the project has yet to secure a guaranteed price for energy from UK Government.

A planning application has been submitted to the Scottish Government's Energy Consents unit for a battery storage facility on land immediate to the south of the Scottish Power substation building. It is they who determine these larger scale energy applications and not the council, although council has provided a consultation response objecting to the proposal due to the fact no tree condition survey, or tree protection plan were submitted as well as the unacceptable impact on the new link road due to the proposed site landscaping. It was noted, however, that if these issues were resolved, the application would be in accordance with the council's Development Plan policies. The council also strongly recommended that the ECU should satisfy themselves that either the proposed storage facility would not result in an unacceptable fire safety risk or that the matter of fire risk is competently dealt with under other legislation. It was also recommend that the ECU consider whether a safety management plan should be required and that local employment be maximised.

Details of the Battery Storage application can be found here. 

Site Technical Assessment

As set out in the report to Council in June 2022 and June 2023, there is need to undertake a full technical appraisal of the remainder of the site factoring in the consented and proposed energy developments as well as the proposed levelling up works. Consultant's Stantec) has been appointed to work with officers to undertake this to establish the site's constraints, servicing requirements and subsequent full development potential of the site to enable it to be marketed. It is anticipated that this technical process will be complete byin late 2024 for sharing with the communities. This is different from the 2017 masterplan in that it will set out an independent opinion as to how the site could be technically and physically redeveloped rather than high level options.

It is intended that the site is divided into development land parcels to provide flexibility, allowing land to be consolidated for a larger user or divided for smaller use types.

Community proposals

A number of potential economic/commercial uses have been mooted for the site.

There are also two community-led proposals, both of which have had the benefit of feasibility work funded by the council - for a port/cruise and the 360 climate change centre.

Port/Cruise

The report presented to the full council meeting in June 2023 highlighted there are significant challenges in developing a port at Cockenzie.

Councillors agreed that port proposals should not be taken further forward. The focus should be on employment-related, land-based development as supported by NPF4 promoting net zero infrastructure and significant economic opportunities.

360 Study

The 360 group identifies a site area of c.10 hectares (where the main power station building was located, not including the Inchcape site) for a 'National Centre for Climate Change - an innovative green space, community park and art installation of national significance'. This would include galleries, exhibition areas and a learning centre with proposals for training and skills development.

The centre - estimated to have a capital cost of £29.5m, including £6M for public art but excluding exhibits - would look to attract funding from a wide range of sources. Significant 'ongoing revenue support' and additional funding to refresh the attraction would be needed. The centre would require circa £400k per annum over the first five years in revenue support to break even. The report highlights a competitive landscape with other attractions in central Scotland including climate change elements, as well as considerable risks. Whilst the report suggests the proposed centre is economically unviable, the 2017 masterplan envisaged public realm improvements. Therefore there is overlap with the 360 group's vision for public open space, public realm public art and greenspace improvements to the site.

The 360 team has submitted an application for planning permission in principle but the application could not be validated for technical reasons.

Representatives have been advised to further engage with members and the council on their ambitions.

Next steps

Technical work will continue to assess development potential as part of the wider Blindwells and a potential Climate Evolution Zone, including assessing flood risk and mitigation.

Liaison will continue with Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Futures Trust and Scottish Development International regarding the potential marketplace for UK-wide or international investments.

Going forward, as agreed by Council in June 2022, advisors will be appointed to develop a marketing strategy and market the site UK-wide and internationally, at the appropriate time.

These actions will contribute to development of the vision and continue progress the site towards development.

Page updated 9 August 2024