Edinburgh race track plans come up against cannibal gull fans
A new track has been proposed at the Musselburgh Lagoons nature reserve
Proposals to build a racing circuit on a site set aside for a wildlife haven have met with strong opposition in Scotland. Retired businessman Bob Jamieson earmarked Musselburgh Lagoons – nine miles east of Edinburgh – as a suitable location for a new venue, one he felt would bring useful economy to the local area. He told the Edinburgh Evening News: “It is scandalous that this valuable site will not generate any local income from birdwatchers, butterflies and seagulls. The opportunity to generate income from millions of visitors to support local businesses will be lost.”
A sketch of his vision indicates that the track layout would replicate Albert Park, Melbourne, which runs around a sumptuous lake containing a wide diversity of wildlife, including pelicans and black swans.
Jamieson’s plan features no such natural concessions, although he hopes the site would incorporate other sports facilities such as an ice rink, a gymnasium and a speedway track.
Locals launched a petition demanding that the site be preserved for wildlife and as a recreation area for the local community; local papers reported several thousand signatures within 24 hours, but it was showing as ‘unavailable’ as Motor Sport closed for press.
According to the East Lothian Courier, Jamieson responded to objectors by saying: “If East Lothian wants cannibal seagulls rather than new jobs, tourism and local economic benefits… that is your choice.”