Covenant pledge to support county's young carers

We've become the latest organisation to sign a national pledge committing to help the county’s young carers reach their full potential.

The Young Carers Covenant was developed by young carers across the UK and outlines 10 key outcomes which they have said are vital to improving their lives. This includes being able to thrive in education and being able to access and succeed in employment and training opportunities.  While Scotland’s Carers Act already places a statutory duty on local authorities to support young carers, the Covenant represents a deeper, values-based commitment to truly hear and act upon the lived experiences of young carers.

“Signing the Covenant sends a message to young carers that they really matter to us,” said Marie Prior, Coordinator, Young Carers who signed the Covenant on our organisation’s behalf. “We’re not just doing this because legislation tells us to - we’re doing it because we’re listening and responding to what young carers are saying.”

Any organisation or individual with the power to make a difference - whether councils, schools or voluntary groups - is encouraged to sign the Covenant.

“It's both a public statement and a reflective tool for evaluating how services are helping young carers thrive," explained Marie. “It’s a powerful way for organisations to ask themselves: what are we actually doing for young carers? It puts the focus where it belongs - on the carers themselves - and makes clear our commitment to help them flourish.”

Marie added: “A very positive outcome from our work around the Covenant is that young carers registered with us will, for the first time, be guaranteed an interview for a council position if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for. This is a really exciting development and offers real opportunities for our young carers entering the workplace.”

The signing took place on 11 June in the company of East Lothian’s Young Carers Advisory Group and Councillors Fiona Dugdale and Shamin Akhtar, East Lothian’s Cabinet Members for Education and Children’s and Family Services and Health and Social Care respectively. The group also began early discussions on shaping the Carers Strategy for East Lothian 2026–2029, offering feedback on three key questions to guide the strategy’s development. The Carers Strategy survey is open until 31 July.

Carers Strategy Survey

For more information about the Young Carers Covenant and how to get involved, visit: carers.org or contact Marie Prior at mprior1@eastlothian.gov.uk  

Primary pupils embrace Connected Communities transitions day

A sense of excitement filled Meadowmill Sports Centre on 2 and 3 June as 180 primary school pupils from Ross High School’s catchment area gathered for the annual Connected Communities Fa’side transitions day. Designed to ease the leap from primary to secondary education, the event offered a blend of engaging activities and valuable social opportunities.

From dance to basketball and football, pupils embraced the fun-filled sessions, which also included orienteering, arts and crafts and a group workshop focused on resilience. In addition, they were introduced to Recharge Youth Provision.

More than a transition — building friendships and confidence

Transitioning to secondary can be daunting, but extensive work within both primary and high schools ensures that children feel prepared. Fa’side’s approach addresses the social aspect of this change - giving children a chance to meet future classmates and begin to forge friendships in a relaxed setting. Key figures were present to lend support, including the Mental Health Youth Worker and Specialist Youth Worker, ensuring young people have trusted adults to turn to during this pivotal time.

Community collaboration

Connected Communities Fa’side worked in partnership with Enjoy Leisure and the­­­ Meadowmill team, as well as all the dedicated activity providers. Contributions from our Arts Team, Ross High School’s librarian Moyra Lumsden, Youth Development Officer Emma Laverie, Recharge Youth Provision and Mental Health Youth Worker Gemma Burns played a vital role in the success of the day. The Active Schools Future Leaders, senior pupils from Ross High School, also stepped up to lead basketball and football sessions allowing younger students to spend time with older pupils they’ll soon see around the school.

Community Development Officer Jude Henderson praised Ross High’s Future Leaders, saying: “The P7s gained so much from being with senior pupils who will be familiar faces after the summer. The Future Leaders were fantastic ambassadors for Ross High and Active Schools, and their contribution was truly appreciated.”

Ross High School’s Head Teacher Paul Reynolds highlighted the benefits of the initiative: “The introduction of a transition event has been really valuable.  It has helped immensely with the first few days joining Ross High as friendships have already been made prior to the pupils’ first day visit. I’d like to thank the Connected Communities Fa’side team for their support and ongoing commitment to supporting the youngsters of our community.”

Macmerry Primary School children were part of the event and Head Teacher Jackie Gentil was pleased with their reaction: “It was extremely well organised and ran very smoothly with eight really engaging stations to rotate through. Our P7s were very positive about their experiences of the day, ranging from dance to basketball to orienteering. They made new friends and enjoyed working in mixed groupings both indoors and outdoors. It was great to see Ross High pupils helping to run the event too.

“This transition event has really helped ease some nerves about the move to high school."

Children’s summer reading challenge launched – step into the Story Garden

Celebrate stories, adventure, and the great outdoors with East Lothian libraries this summer through the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge – Story Garden, from now until Saturday 23 August.

The Challenge launched on Friday 20 June at Musselburgh Library with local author Tom Nicoll, who was joined by members of the Musselburgh Library Junior Gardening Club and lots of families keen to sign up. 

Read for fun

The Reading Agency’s annual Summer Reading Challenge encourages children aged between 4 and 11 to read for fun and happens in libraries across the country every summer. 

This summer, your local East Lothian library invites you to step into the magical world of Story Garden, the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge theme. With stunning artwork by illustrator Dapo Adeola, children will uncover stories that celebrate the great outdoors and the power of imagination. 

With incentives to collect and plenty of brilliant books to enjoy, the Summer Reading Challenge is the perfect summer activity to build young readers’ skills and confidence during the summer break and keep them on track to grow into lifelong readers.

Sign up now!

Children can visit any East Lothian library to sign up for the Challenge and start by taking their first book. The goal is to read any six library books over the summer, collecting stickers along the way and every finisher receives a certificate and is entered into a prize draw. 

We have lots of free and fun events in libraries over the summer holidays to help celebrate nature, the outdoors, and – of course – books! Visit our website for more information or contact your local library.

Update

We have just received a £2500 grant, plus additional resources, from the Julia Rausing Trust via The Reading Agency so we will be working with community groups and lunch clubs to extend the Challenge, supporting children who would not generally access a library. They will be encouraged to complete the Challenge through reading together, curating exciting collections of books, and engaging them in activities to make the Challenge more flexible and achievable. This will build on the existing activities and partnerships of our library service, focusing our outreach more on literacy and reading for pleasure for those who need it most.

 

Welcome to the M365 Workspace!

The Transformation Team are excited to share a valuable resource with all staff - a dedicated SharePoint site for Microsoft 365 tools.

The aim is to help you finding Microsoft 365 support and make it easy to navigate. 

Whether you're looking to boost productivity, explore new features, or just get more comfortable with the tools you use every day, this site is your one-stop destination. You'll find:

• easy-to-follow guides and tutorials
• tips and tricks to streamline your workflow
• regularly updated articles to keep you informed on the latest features.

M365 Sharepoint workspace

New content will be added regularly, so be sure to check back often!

If you have any questions or suggestions for topics you'd like to see covered, feel free to email Edyta in the Transformation Team.

Have your say on draft Gaelic Language Plan

A consultation has been launched on our new Gaelic Language Plan, which covers the period 2025-30.

The draft plan, which we have a statutory duty to renew, sets out actions to help meet a commitment to the aspirations and objectives included in the National Gaelic Language Plan and the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005.

It builds on our first Gaelic Language Plan, which covered the period 2020-25, in recognition of the Scottish Government ambition to see an increase in the number of people speaking learning, using and supporting Gaelic.

The council’s draft Gaelic Language Plan 2025-2030 has been developed with a focus on four strategic aims - increasing community engagement opportunities, the sustainability of Gaelic education (GME), progression of Gaelic Learner Education (GLE) and increased visibility of Gaelic resources and materials.

In support of this, the draft plan includes a number of commitments and actions, including on ‘identity and status’ and ‘Gaelic language acquisition and usage.’

Through a partnership approach including increased community engagement, the council hopes to build on the progress of recent years by continuing to develop Gaelic language provision in East Lothian in a proportionate way.

The draft plan recognises how our organisation can play it's part in making Gaelic more visible, valued and accessible — ensuring it thrives as part of our diverse and inclusive cultural landscape. It is recognised that good progress has been made across Scotland in the use and promotion of Gaelic in recent years.

Since 2011, there has been an increase in the number of people with Gaelic language skills in East Lothian. This has coincided with a period in which East Lothian has consistently been one of Scotland’s fastest growing areas. Gaelic, however, continues to face a number of challenges and that is why organisations such as ours are required to play their part in supporting collective efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability of the language. We would encourage everyone with an interest to respond to the consultation.

Those responding can read either the draft plan in both English and Gaelic on our consultation hub before answering some questions to provide their views.

The consultation runs from 16 June until 4 August.

Work starts on redevelopment of Pithead Baths at Prestongrange

The next stage in an ambitious project to develop a heritage park within the former Prestongrange Colliery and Brickworks between Prestonpans and Musselburgh started earlier this month.

This latest phase will focus on the repair and redevelopment of the former Pithead Bath House building. Work is being completed by Clark Contracts and is expected to last until early 2026 but will not affect the operation of the Prestongrange Museum or access to the wider park.

Encouraging wider community use

The construction is being supported with £1.2 million through the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund. It will involve repairs to the structure and roof of the building and the creation of a volunteer base and activity room within the former Medical Centre of the Pithead Baths building, to encourage wider community use of the park and help build future volunteer capacity.

The aim for this phase of the project is to secure the fabric of the former Pithead Bath House building, continue the delivery of an accessible, carbon neutral community hub and education space, and encourage further dialogue to identify future uses of the building that will complement the wider heritage park and contribute to the long-term sustainability and viability of this important attraction.

For more information about what's going on at Prestongrange, visit their Facebook page.

Plans approved for Blindwells town centre and 60 Council houses at Wallyford

East Lothian Planning Committee met on Wednesday 25 June and discussed various applications including plans for a local centre at the new Blindwells development and 60 new Council homes on the site of the old Wallyford Primary School. 

Planning permission in principle was granted in 2018 for a new settlement at Blindwells. Since then, various detailed applications have been approved, a number of new homes have been built and are now occupied and a new primary school is due to open for this year’s autumn term. 

The current application from Hargreaves Services Ltd is for a local centre comprising 65 flats, employment units, retail units, gym, nursery, wellbeing facility and supermarket. This constitutes part of the town centre area approved within the planning permission in principle granted in 2018. Of the 65 flats, 11 will be for private sale and 54 will be affordable housing including 12 ‘later living’ homes. The high street will be pedestrianised with a public car park to the west of the town centre served by a loop road which will include bus stops and taxi pickup and drop off points. 

No public objections were received to the application, which was approved unanimously following a debate. 

The redevelopment of the former Wallyford Primary School, to form 24 houses and 36 flats – all of which will be for rent by East Lothian Council, was approved by Planning Committee. 

As the applicant for the site, East Lothian Council had carried out community consultation on the plans, with the majority of those who took part supporting the redevelopment. 

The houses will be a mix of six semi-detached and 18 terraced two-storey buildings, ranging from two to four bedrooms. The 36 flats in three, four-storey L-shaped buildings will be one and two bedrooms with six of the one bedroom flats being ground floor and accessible. 

Five representations were received with four objecting to the plans, stating reasons including the flats potentially being intrusive to the surrounding area plus pressure on local services. Following a debate councillors voted unanimously to approve the application. 

Two applications were heard relating to the demolition of the existing building at 34 Dirleton Avenue, North Berwick and the erection of 14 flats in its place. Both applications were heard at Planning Committee on 4 March 2025 and members voted against officers’ recommendations to refuse consent. However, before consent for the demolition of the building and the erection of the new flats could be granted, a bat survey had to take place. The reports before committee today showed two bat surveys had been completed by the applicant, Baseline Developments Ltd, and no bat roosts were discovered. Members agreed to grant planning consent for the demolition and the erection of the flats, however as Historic Environment Scotland had lodged objections to the demolition, the conservation area consent application will now be referred to Scottish Ministers for a decision. 

An application for a 67-metre-high wind turbine on land west of Howden Wood, Gifford, at East Lothian Eggs Ltd, had been called off the Scheme of Delegation by Councillor McIntosh to allow for a discussion at Planning Committee. Members heard that a wind turbine of just over 34 metres in height had already received planning consent and was operational to the north of the current application site. Planners had recommended refusal of the plans due to its height and scale being intrusive and detrimental to the nature of the surrounding rural landscape. One letter of support had been received and two objections, both from the same person. Following a debate, members approved the application by seven votes to two with the additional condition that a planting screen be put in place to mitigate any disturbance from the turbine. 

An application for installation of a surface water pipe on land east of Dunbar Garden Centre was postponed to a future committee meeting. 

The relevant application numbers are: Blindwells, 23/01155/AMM and 21/01580/PM; Wallyford, 25/00024/PM; North Berwick, 24/01050/P and 24/01051/CAC; Gifford, 24/01091/P and Dunbar,  24/01004/P.

Scottish and UK Government investment sought to deliver Blindwells new town

The council has agreed to ask for Scottish and UK Government support to help deliver Blindwells – Scotland’s first new large-scale settlement in 60 years.

In a report, which was discussed in private at the council meeting on 24 June due to commercially sensitive information, councillors were asked to agree an Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal Strategic Outline Business Case for Blindwells, the preparation of which has been led by the Council for submission to both governments for their consideration. 

This is the first step in this process, noting that the Joint Committee of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal (ESESCRD) also endorsed the Blindwells Strategic Outline Business Case earlier this month. This step does not confirm that the council will expand Blindwells, as all expansion plans must be considered and decided under planning procedures, but is a key step to establish whether government support can be provided to ensure this can happen in an appropriate way. 

Blindwells is one of seven strategic housing sites across the ESESCRD area (Edinburgh, East Lothian, West Lothian, Midlothian, Fife and the Scottish Borders) identified as key areas of change and growth which will help to alleviate the National Housing Emergency. In addition, Blindwells can support sustainable growth and development within the region and local area as well as reinvigorate a former coal field area and help regenerate communities. 

As a long term project, over the next 30 years, Blindwells new settlement has the capacity to deliver around 10,000 new homes, of which at least 2,500 will be affordable homes, as well as a town centre with employment and wider commercial and other opportunities. The business case notes the critical need for an infrastructure first and net zero approach to delivery as well as additional support to fund public services. 

Blindwells would increase East Lothian’s population by around 25% and become a new regional hub for service provision and business, commercial and leisure activity. 

The business case, which has been prepared by the Council in collaboration with Scottish Futures Trust, Hargreaves Services PLC and Taylor Wimpey PLC, requests financial support from both governments via the ESESCRD to help enable and accelerate the ongoing delivery of Blindwells. Hargreaves and Taylor Wimpey are major landowners of the wider Blindwells site. 

Council Leader Norman Hampshire said: “The support of both governments will be essential to achieving our ambitions for Blindwells, which is Scotland’s first new settlement since Irvine in 1966. Along with our partners, East Lothian Council wants to create Blindwells as an influential, innovative, healthy and net zero place that is a vibrant destination and attractor. 

“The reality is that East Lothian is one of Scotland’s smallest local authorities with one of the lowest levels of revenue support grant nationally. We cannot deliver the essential infrastructure required to make Blindwells an exemplar new town for the future without leveraging our position as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal and gaining the financial support that it can provide, plus attracting a large amount of private investment. 

“The fact that East Lothian is part of the rapidly growing capital city region means that any investment in Blindwells will in turn support the national and UK economy as well as deliver benefits to our local communities and places. We hope our business case will be successful in attracting the large amount of forward investment from both governments required to achieve our vision.” 

An initial analysis of the strategic impact Blindwells can deliver reveals the potential for significant economic and wider benefits at local, regional, national and UK level, including: 

• around £2 billion in construction phase
• around £7.5 billion when operational (over 30 years)
• around 1,000 jobs per year in construction phase
• around 4,000 jobs supported / created in operation
• around £2.5-£2.8 billion private investment leverage

It is hoped that the Blindwells Strategic Outline Business Case may be approved by both governments in Winter 2025, followed by a more detailed co-produced Outline Business Case in 2026 and a Full Business Case in early 2029.

 

Secretary of State visits Cockenzie

We were pleased to welcome Scottish Secretary, Ian Murray, to the former Cockenzie Power Station site recently.

It was an excellent opportunity to highlight progress on the site, including work to create significant inward investment with the aim of boosting the local economy.

The visit coincided with the launch of the UK Government's modern Industrial Strategy.

Mr Murray met Chief Executive Laurence Rockey, Council Leader Norman Hampshire, Head of Development Keith Dingwall and Project Manager Ray Montgomery and was given a tour of the site, before undertaking media interviews.

Armed Forces Flag flies over Haddington

Veterans, elected members, council colleagues and Armed Services representatives attended a special ceremony and reception last month to mark the start of Armed Forces Week.

Provost Councillor John McMillan and Lord-Lieutenant Roderick Urquhart welcomed guests to John Muir House, Haddington, before piper Rod Paton led the group to Court Street where the Armed Forces Day flag was raised from the roof of the building. Short speeches reflected upon the importance of the Armed Services particularly in 2025, the 80^th year since the end of World War 2, and the sacrifices that those who serve and their families make on the nation’s behalf. Guests then returned to John Muir House for an informal reception and an opportunity to share experiences.

Employee Armed Forces Network

Members of our Employee Armed Forces Network were also present for the event. Brian Cunningham, HR Employee and Reward Officer who previously served with the Royal Navy, explains: "The Armed Forces Network plays a vital role in fostering a supportive, inclusive, and understanding environment for members of the armed forces community within our organisation. Whether someone is a veteran, a reservist, a family member, or simply an ally, the network provides a space where their unique experiences are recognised and valued."

As Brian explains, the transition from military to civilian life can be challenging. The network offers peer support, guidance, and a platform to raise awareness of the specific needs of veterans and reservists. "Whether you’re part of the armed forces community or an ally who wants to make a difference, when you support the Armed Forces Network you’re not only supporting colleagues, you’re helping to build a workplace where everyone can thrive, regardless of their background or service history."

Find out more about the Armed Forces Network by emailing the dedicated inbox: armedforcesemployeenetwork@eastlothian.gov.uk 

Demolition work starts at old coal store site, Cockenzie

The concrete demolition stage of the wider Cockenzie enabling works began on Monday 30 June and will last for 20 weeks. 

During this time, local residents may be affected by the inevitable noise created by the demolition of these concrete structures, but strict time limits and mitigations will be in place, avoiding early morning starts. 

Councillor John McMillan, our Spokesperson for Economic Development, said: “It is a real achievement that this huge project to prepare the site for future employment use is running on schedule and we appreciate the understanding and patience of the local community. We have been keeping the neighbouring community councils informed every step of the way and Balfour Beatty has issued regular newsletters to those living alongside the site, as well as keeping a wonderful photographic record as the work progresses. It’s been really interesting to see these structures emerge, that have been hidden from view for a number of years, revealing a huge part of East Lothian’s industrial history.” 

There are three main structures on the old coal store site (over the road from where the power station was and next to the B6371 ‘coal road’) that will be demolished during the works: 

• the former rail bridge (road traffic went underneath to access the interior of the coal store)
• the supporting concrete wall where the wagon discharge building sat (coal was emptied out of rail wagons here)
• the coal conveyor structures that were buried within the northeastern bund. These have recently become visible as the material from the bund has been removed 

The demolition of these concrete structures will be carried out by Rhodar, sub contracted to Balfour Beatty, who manage the enabling works. Work will begin on the south of the site, working north. 

The structures closest to the north will be demolished from August onwards, when the daily noise may be more noticeable to residents of Alder Road. 

While work is permitted on site from 7am, it has been agreed with the contractor that no demolition machinery will start until 8am to reduce the impact of noise. The latest finish time is 6pm and there will be no planned weekend working.  

Dust and noise monitoring will be carried out on a daily basis and there will be regular dampening down of demolition works to minimise the spread of dust. No roadworks or traffic management is necessary for the demolition. 

The whole project is still scheduled for a December 2025 completion, including the construction of the link road, which will link the Alder Road junction on the B6371 approach to Cockenzie with the existing B1348 road. Much of the route will follow an existing service road to the former coal plant and be complemented by a lane, largely set back from the main roadway, to encourage safe walking and cycling. Work has started on utilities diversions at the Alder Road roundabout. 

The wider Cockenzie enabling works is to prepare the brownfield site for future economic development. The first phase started in September 2024 and was completed in March this year, a month ahead of schedule. It involved the transferring of 175,000 cubic metres of earth (the equivalent of 1,750 double decker buses) from the bunds surrounding the former coal store, across the Edinburgh Road to infill the void in the power station site. 

Phase Two includes the construction of the new link road while the concrete demolition works about to start is Phase Three. The enabling works are 90% funded by UK Government and 10% by East Lothian Council, with the link road 100% funded by East Lothian Council.

Service manager recruitment

Recruitment campaigns have recently taken place to fill two Senior Management Team vacancies.

Graeme Marsden, currently Project Manager – Growth and Sustainability within Development, is preferred candidate for the Service Manager – Planning role. This has been vacant since Keith Dingwall, the previous postholder, was appointed Head of Development.

Meanwhile, Ed Hendrikson, previously a Team Manager within Amenity Services, has taken on the role of Interim Service Manager – Sport, Countryside and Leisure. He succeeds Eamon John, who has become Head of Communities and Partnerships.

Congratulations to both Graeme and Ed and good luck in their new roles.

Construction handover achieved on Blindwells and Craighall schools

Two new primary schools have officially been handed over to East Lothian Council.

We appointed Hub South East to deliver new schools at Blindwells and Craighall with main contractor Balfour Beatty leading the project. The buildings were developed from the council’s Strategic Asset and Capital Plan Management team initial design concepts by JM Architects and Hub South East, who also worked on Wallyford Learning Campus and Wallyford Primary School.

In March, the council announced it had appointed Gemma-Rose Lansdown and Jamie Wilson as Head Teachers for Blindwells Primary School and Craighall Primary School respectively. Enrolment arrangements for both schools were confirmed in the same month and children are due to attend from August.

The schools are needed to provide additional early learning and childcare and primary education as a result of housing development in Craighall and Blindwells areas. Works will now continue to the internal areas to establish the spaces ready for opening in August.

Cabinet member for Education and Children’s and Family Services Councillor Fiona Dugdale said: “Developing two schools at the same time is a major undertaking and I am delighted that we have met our schedule for handover and can now progress with the finishing touches to prepare the schools for children in August.

“Both schools provide focal points for their communities and demonstrate our commitment to providing the best education for our children and investing in high-quality learning spaces. I have been fortunate to tour the sites during their construction and can’t wait to go back and see them in the new term when they are up and running.

“I’d like to congratulate all of the teams from our council strategic assets and education services, Hub South East and Balfour Beatty who have brought these projects from initial plans through to the completed buildings we see today.”

 Andrew Thornton, Hub South East’s Project Director, said: “Continuing our successful partnership, we’re delighted to have handed over East Lothian Council’s latest investment in its education estate. The new Blindwells and Craighall Primary Schools are going to make a real positive difference to the learner journeys of the young people in these growing communities when they open in the new school term.

“The designs for these new schools have been developed using Passivhaus principles, so pupils and staff will not only benefit from modern new learning spaces, the buildings themselves will be energy efficient and will assist our Client in meeting progressive Scottish Government environmental targets, ensuring a lasting legacy beyond construction.”

Atholl McKay, Portfolio Director at Balfour Beatty, said: “We are proud to celebrate the successful completion of the new Blindwells and Craighall Primary Schools, which will serve East Lothian’s growing communities for generations to come.

“These modern, state-of-the-art schools are the result of a collaborative effort between Balfour Beatty, East Lothian Council and Hub South East, and represent a positive legacy that will extend well beyond the classroom.”

Combined project costs for both schools are estimated at £49.6 million and are predominately funded through Section 75 developer contributions.