News

Update on Prestonpans (1745) Threat

3 September 2014

Despite the Battlefields Trust asking East Lothian Council to reject the application to build an electricity substation on the Prestonpans battlefield, agreement in principle was given for it to go ahead on 2 September.  Both Historic Scotland and the local planning archaeologist both agreed that the mitigation measures proposed by the developer were sufficient to protect the battlefield setting and that archaeological conditions imposed on the development would ensure that any extant battlefield archaeology was identified and recorded.

 

When the statutory heritage planning consultee, Historic Scotland, does not object to development on an Inventoried battlefield, the voice of voluntary organisations such as the Battlefields Trust and The Battle of Prestonpans 1745 Heritage Trust are more often than not ignored. Nevertheless, the Battlefields Trust will continue to make the case for the protection of Prestonpans and other battlefields under threat.