A pedestrian crossing which was installed on a busy road near Meadowmill Sports Centre is soon to be removed by East Lothian Council – but there are fears that doing so will make the road less safe.

Concerns were raised at last month’s meeting of Prestonpans Community Council about the pedestrian crossing, connecting the town to Meadowmill Sports Centre, being switched off.

A member of the public had contacted the group after the crossing on the B1361, close to the footbridge that crosses the railway line, had been out of action for several weeks.

Members of the group were concerned that the lights being switched off would compromise safety on the road and suggested that the addition of the lights was a positive for the town to help ensure safety.

However, a spokesperson for East Lothian Council confirmed to the Courier that the lights had only been installed as a temporary measure to facilitate the safe crossing of pupils from Preston Lodge High School to the centre while the PE facilities were closed at the school for repair work.

Work on the facilities concluded earlier this year and pupils no longer need to travel to Meadowmill.

The spokesperson said: “The traffic signals were installed temporarily to facilitate the temporary relocation of pupils from Preston Lodge High School to Meadowmill for PE.

“Now that PL gym hall is operational again, the temporary controlled crossing equipment is to be removed and returned to the traffic signal company, as it was only procured as a temporary measure.”

The spokesperson added that there were plans to install permanent lights in the area but that there was no timeframe for this.

They said: “With the wider development of Blindwells, a requirement was placed on the developer to build an attractive and accessible route to the rail station at Prestonpans, and to Preston Lodge High School.

“Now that housebuilding is well under way, there are plans in the future for a control crossing installed at this location. The council is not in a position to confirm the timescale for this.”

However, a spokesperson for Prestonpans Community Council stated that the group did not feel there was a benefit to the removal.

They said: “There is a general feeling among our members that a safe crossing over this busy road was of enormous benefit to local residents and visitors alike.”