A London councillor has proposed the construction of a new Scottish village, with the building of 450 new homes.

The deputy leader of Kensington & Chelsea Council, Rock Feilding-Mellen, has put forward planning application for the construction of the new homes on his family’s Scottish estate.

Mr Feilding-Mellen, the son of the colourful Countess of Wemyss and March, has applied to East Lothian Council for planning permission in principle through his development vehicle, called Socially Conscious Capital.

He has applied to build a mixed use development at Longniddry, while his mother and step father, the earl, also hold shares in the Socially Conscious Capital firm.

It has been proposed that the expansion of the new village will be constructed to the south of the existing village, around Longniddry Farm, where the land is owned by the March Estate and the Wemyss.

The plans have been in development for a number of years, although they have faced significant resistance from local campaigners.

Mr Feilding-Mellen said that as well as providing much needed new housing, the project will also ensure that the existing Longniddry residents will also reap tangible benefits, including community facilities and employment opportunities, which will be fully integrated into the exiting village.

He added that the development’s close proximity to the railway station, their scheme is one of the most suitable in East Lothian, adding that this is one of the main reasons for the site’s inclusion in the council’s draft proposed local development scheme.

Mr Feilding-Mellen also commented that his planning organisation has undertaken extensive consultation among the community about their proposals and thanked those who put their views and ideas forward.

He insisted that they have done their utmost to try and make sure that the various views put forward in the consultation process have been included in their final proposals for the project.

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