Renewed play area opened in Lauderdale Park

Pupils from Dunbar Primary School were the special guests for the official opening of a renewed play area in the town’s Lauderdale Park.

Place project update

Thank you to all colleagues who attended one of our recent employee sessions explaining the background to the council’s new place project.

As part of our Asset Review, the council is carrying out the place project to review properties that deliver, or have the potential to deliver, general face-to-face services. This includes buildings that offer customer facilities where the public can speak face-to-face with an advisor, libraries with access to computers, bookable rooms and buildings which have the potential to be a community hub.

Opportunities

While there are no plans to stop or reduce these services, new approaches to the operation of buildings could help ensure the council has good quality, well used assets within local communities offering modern and flexible facilities to meet the needs of local residents. This could be achieved by using buildings differently, for example in some communities co-locating services which might currently be delivered from different buildings under one roof. There are already examples of where such community hub models operate successfully – such as the Bleachingfield in Dunbar and the George Johnstone Centre in Tranent. There could also be opportunities for communities to take over the running of some buildings such as by leasing them, community asset transfer or looking at opportunities with community planning partners and others.

Through the Asset Review, much work has already been carried out resulting in savings for the council, such as the closure of Randall House and relocation of colleagues to John Muir House and elsewhere.

But there is still more work to do and we need to proceed with the next phase of the Asset Review. In what continues to be an extremely challenging financial climate, the council is required to deliver previously agreed budget savings in the next five years. Ensuring that we operate good quality and well utilised buildings with modern facilities in a sustainable and efficient way, can help address these challenges.

Engagement

The project is being driven by evidence-based data analysis and informed by both employee and community feedback. It is hoped that this will allow us to develop a sustainable approach to service delivery, reduced premises costs and a clear long term property strategy. 

The recent online briefing sessions provided employees with an overview of the background, set out how colleagues can contribute to the process and provided an opportunity to ask questions. We are in the process of inviting community organisations including key building stakeholders to a series of workshops. This will provide an opportunity to discuss the principle of this approach and gather views on ways in which buildings are used. There will then be drop-in sessions open to the public, as well as an online questionnaire, when local residents will be able to provide feedback. Further details of this will be published as soon as possible.

An intranet page is also being set up where further information will be added for employees in the weeks and months ahead.

If you have any questions please email placemakingproject@eastlothian.gov.uk

Tom Reid, Head of Infrastructure

Caroline Rodgers, Head of Communities & Partnerships

Celebrating the legacy of Tyne and Esk Community Funding

Tyne and Esk Community Led Local Development (CLLD) programme has made a significant impact on rural communities in East Lothian and Midlothian. Since November 2022, over half a million pounds has been awarded to 52 projects, supporting local groups, individuals, and businesses in advancing inclusion, equality, and diversity.

On 14 March, a celebratory event was held at Edinburgh College, Milton Road, where recipients of the CLLD funding and members of the Local Action Group gathered. Special guest Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, praised the programme's success and its lasting legacy.

Anne Hastie, Co-chair of the Local Action Group, highlighted the positive feedback and connections made through the programme. Ms Gougeon emphasized the transformative power of community-led investment, noting that more than £29 million has been invested in rural communities across Scotland since 2021, with over 1,000 projects benefiting.

Speakers at the event included:

• Rab Campbell and Maddie Kortenaar from Social Value Engine Ltd, who discussed the social return on investment of CLLD funds, which was calculated at £4.86 for every £1 in 2022/23, rising to £7.32 in 2023/24.
• Robert Gillies from Harlawhill Day Centre, who shared how funding was used to refurbish the centre's facilities and minibus.
• Cheryl Brown MBE CF and Gemma Laidlaw from Midlothian Sure Start, who detailed their use of funding for IT equipment, outdoor play enhancements, and the development of a high-quality baby room.
• Trudi Cueto from Carfrae Farm, who explained how funding supported the purchase of a milk vending machine, reusable bottles, and improvements to farm signage and hot food takeaway equipment.

The event showcased the many positive outcomes of the Tyne and Esk CLLD programme, demonstrating the power of community-led development in rural areas.

'Zero tolerance’ policy on fly-tipping announced

East Lothian Council has announced a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on fly-tipping following the introduction of new measures to help catch offenders.

Disclosure Scotland updates from 1 April

The following changes came into effect from Tuesday 1 April:

1. The PVG scheme became mandatory in law for all those carrying out a regulated role with Children or Protected Adults. Currently it is a mandatory requirement by the Care Inspectorate. No person will be permitted to carry out regulated work with East Lothian Council if they do not have a disclosure check for the regulated role they are carrying out.

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2. Disclosure levels changed from previous four levels of disclosure: basic, standard, enhanced and PVG disclosures (for members of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme) to:
   • Level 1 (Any role) - replaces basic disclosure.
   • Level 2 (Specific “exempted” roles”) - replaces standard and enhanced disclosure.
   • Level 2 PVG Scheme (Regulated roles) – replaces PVG disclosure

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   All applicants are now required to view their PVG Disclosure online and then authorise the Disclosure Information to be provided to the council. The applicant must then select the option to release their information within 14 days (tbc). After 14 days the Disclosure Information is withdrawn, and the applicant will need to reapply. Applicants who apply via the non-digital route will be posted their information and they will need to contact Disclosure Scotland to either appeal or release their Disclosure Information to the Council. It is important that managers and applicants are aware of this change to prevent any delay in the process.

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4. After viewing their Disclosure Information, applicants can apply to the new Independent Reviewer for convictions and/or other information to be removed before the Disclosure Information is provided to the Council. If the applicant decides to appeal, the Disclosure Information will NOT be released. The time frame for the appeals process is not known.

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5. The minimum age for applying for a PVG Scheme membership is now set at 16 years old. Under 16s will not be eligible to apply for a PVG, however they will need to apply for a PVG Scheme Membership when they turn 16.

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   Regulated Work has been replaced by Regulated Roles. This is likely to include additional roles in places of work where Protected Adults and Children are. Many of these roles were previously considered incidental and did not require a check.  

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   A Protected Adult has changed from being over age 16 to being over 18 years. Under 18s will be considered as Children. An employee who has a PVG scheme membership for one type of regulated role (such as adults) cannot carry out the other type of regulated role (such as under 18s) without first obtaining a scheme update for that role. An employee who works with Children (Under 18s) and Protected Adults (Over 18s) will need a PVG scheme membership for working with both groups. 

Information on the intranet is being updated from 1 April to reflect the new process. HR will be reaching out to teams where some of these changes may affect a team member’s PVG requirements.

This is part of a roll-out of the provisions of the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 with some changes already in place and more to follow later this year.

Empowering Young Carers: new ID cards celebrate their vital role

Listening to the voices and opinions of young people, East Lothian Council’s Young Carers Team have developed a new Young Carers Identity Card. The move is in response to feedback from young carers themselves who said the card would help increase their confidence and provide them with the recognition they deserve. 

Young carers are under 18 years old and provide unpaid help and support to a relative, friend or neighbour who due to illness or disability cannot manage to live independently without their help.

The amount of support they provide can vary and can include a range of activities. For example, some young carers may support a sibling or parent at home. Activities may include physical care, like helping them get dressed, practical care, like helping around the home, or emotional support by spending quality time with them. Older siblings may take some responsibility for their younger brothers or sisters, like getting them ready for school. Others may help older relatives or neighbours on a regular or infrequent basis.

Caring for others at a young age comes with additional responsibilities and can have an impact on an individual’s life and daily activities. The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 ensures that young carers are able to have their voice heard, to be listened to, especially about decisions that affect them, and supported to achieve their personal goals. One of the means of achieving this is through the creation of Young Carers Statement. It helps identify and recognise a young carers, strengths, skills, qualities and personal goals.

From talking to young carers in East Lothian, many highlighted that having a form of identification indicating their role as a young carer would be beneficial to make them more seen, to recognise their contribution and give them confidence. The East Lothian Councils Young Carers Team agreed, and the creation of the ID Card was put into action.

Cabinet spokesperson for Education, Children’s and Family Services, Councillor Fiona Dugdale comments, “Young carers provide invaluable support to siblings, parents, relatives and neighbours.  For many caring isn’t a choice, it’s a necessity.  While the ID Card may be small, its significance is much bigger.  It’s an acknowledgment, a recognition, and a celebration of all that they do.  It provides status, and an opportunity for young carers to be seen, identified, and involved in discussions. Our Young Carers should be exceptionally proud of the support they provide, and I hope having the ID Card goes some way to assisting this.”

If you know someone under the age of 18 who provides unpaid caring support to family members, friends or neighbours, contact our Young Carers team to see what support could be available.

Further information on support for carers is also available online.

Traditional Skills Training Fund opens

Dunbar Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) has launched a Traditional Skills Bursary scheme, with applications invited from 1 April 2025. 

Traditional buildings, generally those built before 1919, make up about 20 per cent of Scotland’s dwellings and the appropriate skills needed to work on these buildings are in decline, so traditional buildings are often repaired in an inappropriate manner which can accelerate the deterioration of the historic fabric, often causing irreversible damage. 

Dunbar CARS has developed the Traditional Skills Bursary Scheme to provide financial support to individuals looking to learn a traditional skill or develop an existing one. The fund is designed to be flexible and can support a wide range of courses, workshops and seminars linked to building conservation and traditional skills. These include stone masonry, traditional joinery and architectural metal working. 

Examples of course providers offering activities and events related to traditional building and conservation skills include the Scottish Lime Centre Trust, the Engine Shed (Historic Environment Scotland), the Institute for Historic Building Conservation and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. There are many other training providers and the Dunbar CARS officers would be happy to discuss the eligibility of any identified activity. 

Applicants can apply for up to £2,000 to support the cost of attending the identified course(s) which can be used to cover course fees, travel costs, and accommodation if required. Funding is limited so it is advisable to make an application as soon as possible. 

As part of the promotion of the bursary scheme, Dunbar CARS has organised a number of hands-on activities in the town centre over the next few weeks: 

• Close Repair and Refurbishment: Purves Close, Dunbar High Street. Darren Brown and Ben Gilmour (the Ridge). Learn how to rake out, point and plaster a rubble wall using lime render and paint. Tuesday 8 April, 10am-12 or 2-4pm; Wednesday 9 April, 10am-12 or 2-4pm; Thursday 10 April, 10am-midday or 2-4pm 

• Hot Lime Workshop: Black Bull Close, Dunbar High Street. Jamie Goodwin (the Ridge). Learn how to point a wall using hot lime. Saturday 26 April, 10am-midday or 2-4pm

Trainers will be available for Q&A sessions between 1-2pm or to book one of the two hour taster sessions, email the team. Booking for the sessions is essential as places will be limited. All necessary protective equipment and tools will be provided and prior knowledge of the skill is not necessary.

Dunbar CARS will also be participating in the community-led Spring Clean Weekend on 26 and 27 April. Local social enterprise, Forge and Equip, will carry out demonstration sessions outside the Museum and Town House on Saturday 26 April on how to repair and look after rusty gates or railings, with drop in sessions running between 11am and 4pm.

To receive a Dunbar CARS Traditional Skills Bursary application pack and guidance notes, please email the team

 

Young people tell John Muir’s story in a new way

A talented group of S2 students from Dunbar Grammar School have been working with East Lothian Council Museums Service to learn new skills and gain experience working in museums and galleries.

This involved developing a new way of learning about John Muir’s story and the nature emergency - with some added drama! 

On Tuesday 18 March John Muir’s Birthplace was handed over to the Dunbar Grammar students for the morning. The students welcomed 42 visitors to the museum to try out their escape room-style trail, which they created as part of their Workforce for the Future Project funded by Museums Galleries Scotland. 

The escape room trail will be available for visitors to try over the spring and summer. Visitors collect a clue card with puzzles, codes and hints to solve as they explore the museum, meeting some of the animals that John Muir encountered on his travels. The trail is a timed race against extinction. 

John Johnstone, Dunbar Grammar School Head Teacher, said: “The students have developed teamwork and communication skills, increased their confidence and learnt more about careers in the heritage sector. I was so impressed by how they welcomed visitors, giving instructions and keeping all the activities running.” 

Museums Galleries Scotland’s Workforce and Training Officer Frankie Bradley said: “The Workforce for the Future Project is all about demystifying the heritage sector and helping connect museums with young people. The cohort from Dunbar Grammar have taken a fun and engaging approach by developing an escape room style trail. Who would have thought trying to solve clues, crack codes and unravel mysteries to save Dave the Rat from extinction could be such fun?” 

John Muir’s Birthplace is open Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 1pm to 5pm at 126 High Street, Dunbar, EH42 1JJ. www.jmbt.org.uk

Asset valuations

DM Hall, on behalf of our Estates team, is in the process of valuing all council assets.

Every local authority is required to value its assets for accounting purposes. For land and buildings, a full survey and valuation is required every five years, or sooner in some cases. DM Hall has been appointed and is in the process of carrying out these surveys and will be visiting all council buildings. Some surveys will be pre-arranged, some will be ad-hoc. The surveyor from DM Hall will have identification and a letter of introduction from Estates.

This is normal council business and not related to the placemaking project or asset review.

If you would like more information please email estates@eastlothian.gov.uk

Successful workshop to support creating resilient communities

Around 100 dedicated East Lothian volunteers came together to discuss how to make their community more resilient at a special workshop organised by our Emergency Planning and Resilience team.  The attendees included Community Councils, Tenants and Residents Associations, Schools, Parent Councils, Church groups and Connected Communities.

Shared experiences

The Resilient Communities Workshop was organised to explore what this idea means in practice, how local areas can become more resilient and what we can learn from elsewhere. Elected members and council management team members attended to host round-table discussions giving plenty of opportunity for people to share their own experiences.

With weather-related challenges fresh in everyone’s mind from Storm Eowyn, attendees heard presentations from the Met Office on climate change, recent storms and training opportunities. Our Sustainability and Climate Change Officer Cheyne Hamm and Tess Humble from the East Lothian Climate Hub discussed adaptation for communities and the work of the East Lothian Climate Hub while Scottish Government officer Kerry Jardine presented on the body’s Resilient Communities work and Katie Bartholomew from its Domestic Climate Change division highlighted how scientific behaviour change models can be used to shape a positive response around community resilience and action.

Inspiring stories 

Jemma Landells, a business owner from Scottish Borders, inspired the audience with her experiences establishing the Eyemouth Response Team which provides vital support to its community during emergencies. As a former chair of Eyemouth Town Council and a proud mum and grandma, Jemma’s story of feeling compelled to help make her town a better and safer place resonated with the attendees, who included many community councils and local groups.

SPEN, Red Cross, SGN, Police Scotland, Salvation Army, Scottish Flood Forum, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, Tyne and Esk Community Development and Raynet attended and were available for informal discussions around resources and support available from their organisations for ongoing resilience work.

Scott Kennedy Team Manager – Emergency Planning and Resilience was delighted with how the day went. He said: “It was very encouraging to see so many people from our communities attend our first Resilient Community Workshop since 2019 which provided a great opportunity to share best practice, network and to achieve collaborative learning from the variety of presentations on the day. It is now important that the Emergency Planning and Resilience team build on the positive outcomes and enthusiasm of the day and work with the attendees to continue to establish resilient community groups throughout East Lothian."

Planning Committee approves holiday lodges at Whitekirk Hill

East Lothian Planning Committee met on Tuesday 1 April and discussed three applications, including the erection of 22 holiday lodges at Whitekirk Hill, North Berwick. 

Whitekirk Hill is a tourism and leisure facility, half a mile from the village of Whitekirk, and was formerly the Whitekirk Golf and Country Club. Planning permission in principle was granted in July 2020 for a maximum of 41 holiday lodges and associated development on the site, which also features a mixed-use, multi-function leisure club facility with restaurant, bar and café facilities, gym and swimming pool and indoor/outdoor children's play areas. 

Permission was granted in November 2020 for the construction of nine of those lodges. The current application is for the next phase of development, of 22 lodges, which is part retrospective as a number of the holiday lodges and their associated access roads and parking areas have already been installed on the site. Phase two features 12 three-bedroom lodges and 10 micro lodges with one bedroom each. 

No objections or representations had been received. The application was approved with nine votes and one abstention. 

Committee members also agreed, nine votes to one, to approve the erection of an agricultural building and vehicular access at Boggs Holdings, Pencaitland. Planners had recommended approval of the application. It was discussed at committee after being called off the Scheme of Delegation by Councillor Akhtar due to local concerns. Seven letters of objection had been received raising various issues including road safety, tree removal and the size of the proposed shed. Following a debate, an additional condition was added to the planning consent, that agricultural vehicles should only use the new access and not the lane currently used by residential properties. 

A development of two new houses on the site of an existing house, ‘Davanmore’, Gosford Road, Longniddry, was unanimously approved. It had been called off the Scheme of Delegation List by Councillor Bruce due to comments submitted by Longniddry Community Council on the appropriateness of what was being proposed, which they thought might constitute overdevelopment. Five objections had been received, raising concerns including a potential loss of privacy to neighbouring properties and the capacity of the site to accommodate two new properties. 

Each of the two new houses will be two-storey and feature front and back gardens, two off-street parking spaces, driveways, stone paving external patios and electric vehicle charging points. Following a site visit and a debate at committee, the plans were approved. 

The relevant application numbers are: Whitekirk, 23/00786/AMM and 18/01123/PPM; Boggs Holdings, 24/00788/P and Longniddry, 24/01416/P.