A proposal that would see Prestonpans removed from the East Lothian constituency at Scottish Parliament elections has been labelled “absurd” by the town’s community council.

The plan has been put forward by Boundaries Scotland, the body responsible for redrawing constituency lines, to “reflect the movements of the electorate in Scotland”.

If the proposals are approved, Prestonpans would become part of the Midlothian North and Musselburgh constituency – which already includes Dalkeith, Musselburgh and Wallyford – at Holyrood elections.

The East Lothian constituency would remain otherwise unchanged. Prestonpans Community Council members universally criticised the proposal at their May meeting, chair DJ Johnston-Smith saying that the idea was “like it had been created by a bad AI”.

He added: “I thought it was a practical joke.”

Dr Johnston-Smith described the shape of the proposed new constituency as looking “like Frankenstein’s Monster’s fist” with its middle finger extended.

The voter confusion that the change could cause was also highlighted, with Prestonpans remaining in East Lothian’s Westminster constituency but being separated from the rest of the county at Holyrood level.

The plans would also mean that the Preston Seton Gosford council ward would be split across two Holyrood constituencies, as Cockenzie, Port Seton and Longniddry would all remain in the East Lothian constituency.

Preston Seton Gosford ward councillor Colin Yorkston agreed with the group’s concerns, declaring the plan “madness”.

The location of the suggested new boundary lines was also a cause for concern, as it would mean that Wallyford would be divided between two constituencies, with some of its new housing developments falling on the East Lothian side.

Ronnie Hinds, Boundaries Scotland chair, said the proposals were a “necessary rebalancing to reflect the movements of the electorate in Scotland” since the previous review in 2010.

The proposals come as part of Boundaries Scotland’s review of Scottish Parliament boundaries, which was first announced in September last year.

The provisional proposals, which include the creation of 25 new constituencies with new names and boundaries, alongside 26 constituencies with minor changes, have now gone out to public consultation.

The one-month consultation runs until Friday, June 30.