January 7 2010

A planned housing development at East Fortune Airport has been grounded after East Lothian Council threw out the plans.

Historic Lothian Protection & Development Ltd had sought to transform part of the aerodrome which had latterly housed East Fortune Hospital by renovating seven rusting corrugated iron structures and building 56 homes, six of which would have been affordable.

These sheds have been listed by Historic Scotland owing to their former role as departure point for the R34 airship on route to America.

Despite the promised remediation work and the prospect of a £455k contribution to local schools councillors threw the plans out citing the inappropriateness of placing housing within a large area of dereliction.

Others criticised a segregation of affordable homes, over development and traffic management concerns.

Some locals had backed the plans fearing that the buildings will become dangerous and expressed scepticism that an alternative funding source could be found.

Image taken by Frank Quinn.

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