COUNCILLORS have thrown out plans to open a family theme park on a farm after they were told the crops lost would be equivalent to one million pints of beer.

Concerns over the proposal by operators of East Links Family Park, currently on the edge of West Barns, to open a new park six miles away, on  East Fortune Farm, saw hundreds of objections.

Council planning officers recommended refusal after estimating that the majority of visitors would travel to it by car, with a lack of public transport and roadside paths sparking fears about safety.

At a meeting of the council’s planning committee on Tuesday, councillors cited an additional reason for refusing as the loss of prime agricultural land.

READ MORE: Plans for family park at East Fortune Farm now revealed in full

Councillor Donna Collins, a farmer herself, outlined the impact of losing potential crops to the food chain. She said: “The loss of 14.5 hectares of prime agricultural  land which could produce 145 tonnes of wheat is equivalent to 246,000 loaves of bread and one million pints of beer.”

The operator of East Links Family Park submitted plans to relocate the business to the farm after its lease runs out at its current site. The plans brought more than 550 representations, with about 465 objecting.

Objectors told the committee that claims of a “relocation” were not correct because the owner of the land where the current park lies had said he would find new management to keep it open.

They raised their own concerns about road safety, increased traffic on the surrounding country roads and communities and the impact on local wildlife and rural life.

Planners told councillors the application had to be considered as a “new family park”, which potentially meant two would be operating within six miles of each other.

READ MORE: Councillors to decide on East Links Family Park 'relocation'

The council’s economic development team backed the plans but council officers ruled that concerns over transport links and access outweighed any benefits. The applicants had argued that the new park was farm diversification and a lower 40mph speed limit could be introduced at the entrances to the site to counter claims access was unsafe.

However, road services responded: “It is not normal procedure for speed limits to be introduced to support a substandard development.”

Local ward councillor Shamin Akhtar, who is not on the planning committee, urged her colleagues to support officers and refuse permission for the park.

She said: “The family park does not meet our safety standards.”

Councillor Jeremy Findlay also backed officers’ concerns over road safety and the potential impact on local residents of noise from the park, as well as the loss of prime agricultural land.

He said: “I am all in favour of farm diversification but it has to be the right project in the right place and at the right time and this is not the case.”

Councillor Kenny McLeod supported the application, highlighting that the operator of East Links Family Park had won awards for the business.

He said: “To reject this diverse and exciting business would be a loss for East Lothian.”

Councillor Shona McIntosh moved a recommendation for refusal not only on road safety grounds but on the loss of prime agricultural land, which was backed by Mr Findlay. The committee refused planning permission by nine votes to one, with only Mr McLeod supporting it.

After the meeting, David Johnston, spokesman for the campaign against the theme park plan, hailed the decision as “entirely sensible”.

He said: “Hopefully this is the end of the matter and this harebrained scheme is laid to rest for good.”