John Home Robertson has voiced fears

"Originally just a small area of derelict land outside Musselburgh was earmarked for opencast," said Mr Robertson.

"But I think civil servants gave in to last-minute lobbying by the mining companies and now the structure plan includes the whole Lothian coalfield - a vast area."

Local councillors are also furious that the mining firms have been able to put their case while the government turned a deaf ear to the lobbying of East Lothian Council.

Provost Pat O'Brien said he was very concerned about the situation.

"The decision could lead opencast operators to think they can move in and have a field day," he said.

'Planning blight'

Mining companies are already targeting the area.

One site, at Harry's Burn near Tranent, is currently the subject of a public inquiry - after three previous applications for opencast on the site were turned down.

Mr Home Robertson thinks this is an early sign of the planning blight which will affect the whole county.

I am not against all open-cast mining, but what is being proposed is not tolerable

John Home Robertson

"The firms keep coming back and this new structure plan can only encourage them," he said.

But is this opposition simply a case of 'not in my back yard'?

The coal companies certainly think so and point out that the mining operations will bring new jobs to the area.

However, Mr Home Robertson remains unconvinced - and says that the local economy is already thriving.

"We have a number of bio-science and high-tech companies here and that is an area of employment we want to expand," he said.

Planning policies

He believes these industries will be put off East Lothian by the pollution from the mining operations - even though they would bring far more jobs than the mines.

The MSP is to raise the issue in the Scottish Parliament and plans to meet ministers in an attempt to get the planning policies amended.

"We have to bear in mind that this area was one of the first in the country to be mined for coal, hundreds of years ago," he said.

"There is a tradition here, and I am not against all open-cast mining, but what is being proposed is not tolerable."