Controversial plans to close a road originally due to be shut 37 years ago have been stopped by councillors despite warnings it is not safe.
East Lothian Council's roads officers wanted to start moves to shut the Johnnie Cope Road, which links the towns of Tranent and Prestonpans, by beginning the statutory process to change its status.
However a meeting of councillors yesterday saw cross party opposition to the plans after councillors received a storm of protests.
READ MORE: New East Lothian boundary change for Scottish Parliament 'will confuse voters'
The meeting was told that a public consultation into the closure brought 152 responses - 147 of which were against the move.
Council leader Norman Hampshire introduced an amendment to the officers report which saw them drop plans to shut the road and instead investigate alternative ways to improve it.
An amendment led by Conservative Opposition group leader Lachlan Bruce, also called for the plans to be shelved but was withdrawn after the two parties agreed to back Councillor Hampshire's amendment with the addition that he would write to the Scottish Government asking for more funds to improve the road.
Scottish Greens councillor Shona McIntosh voiced her anger at the decision by fellow councillors who had only a matter of months ago backed the officers' recommendations for closure.
Councillor McIntosh told a meeting of the full council: "This is such a failure of political courage. We are sitting here saying we should disregards the advice of officers simply because we are running scared of the motoring lobby."
However Councillor Colin McGinn, ward member for Tranent, argued minds had been changed by local opinion adding: "We are nothing if we do not listen to constituents."
Originally due to close when the A1 bypass opened in the eighties after the road was deemed ‘unnecessary’, the legislation was never fully introduced and the road remained open to traffic.
East Lothian Council officials revived plans to close Johnnie Cope’s Road at the end of last year.
At the time a council spokesperson said the road was “never intended to take the volume and type of traffic currently using it” however the move led to protests from local residents.
Council officers told today's meeting they believed the road was not safe and could not be improved without acquiring more land to realign it.
However councillors voted by 19 to one to back the amendment and scrap the plans to close it with officers ordered to produce a new report costing possible options to improve it.
