CONTROVERSIAL plans for a skate park, pump track and basketball court at Lochend Woods have been revealed.

Discussions regarding more youth facilities near Hallhill Sports Centre have been ongoing for more than a year.

Already, land at the site, known as the Jampot, has been allocated for a football pitch and a play area.

Now, a planning application from Robert Peters has been registered with East Lothian Council.

The proposals show not only a pump track and skate park but also a basketball court, cafe and changing rooms building.

Councillor Norman Hampshire, who represents the town on East Lothian Council, will not be able to vote if the proposals come before the planning committee, which he chairs, due to his connection to Hallhill Sports Centre.

He said: “I know there are some people against this happening.

“The same people are also complaining that young people are doing things they should not be doing.

“We are giving positive things for young people to do.

“Hallhill is a multi-sport complex. Skateboarding and BMXing are Olympic sports and if we can encourage people to take up these sports, that is where we have got to start.”

Drawings included with the application show the skate park and pump track immediately to the north of the football pitch.

Beside them would be the cafe and changing facilities, and to the west would be the playpark and basketball court.

The application was validated by the local authority’s planning department on the same day as Dunbar Community Council held its most recent monthly meeting.

The proposals were not discussed but Pippa Swan, chairwoman of the group, confirmed that the application would be on the agenda for the next meeting, which is due to take place on Monday.

She said: “The [proposals] will be presented to the community council.

“The views are mixed. There is a huge amount of enthusiasm for anything that brings activities and sport to young people.

“We are also aware there is anxiety about such an intervention in Lochend Woods and in open green space.

“I am expecting views to be pretty passionate on both sides.”

The scheme has already come under scrutiny on social media, with fellow community councillor Jacquie Bell among those expressing concerns about the proposals.

She highlighted concerns about flooding and also the impact on wildlife, including deer and bats.

The community councillor said: “What we have is an erosion of green space habitat and this is potentially going to further add to the loss of habitat.”

She acknowledged that there were regularly people calling for more youth facilities in the town.

Mrs Bell added: “This is very sport orientated but it is the balance of is this the right site for such a large conglomerate of stuff?”