Council budget for 25/26 approved

East Lothian Council's budget for 2025/26 has been set with a focus on supporting vulnerable residents and giving children the best start in life.

The cross-party budget was been developed in the context of significant ongoing demand and cost pressures arising from East Lothian’s growing population, alongside wider economic challenges. Despite being one of Scotland's fastest growing areas, analysis from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) of the provisional 2025-26 local government finance settlement shows that East Lothian receives the third-lowest funding settlement in Scotland per head of population at 81.4% of the Scottish average.

Members approved a 10% rise in council tax following a freeze in the current year. For people living in a band D property this represents a £2.76 weekly increase. After consultation with council tenants, a 6.5% increase was agreed – an average of £5.25 per week. 

Investment in services

Councillors also agreed:

• a commitment to invest over £211 million in infrastructure over the next five years including education estate
• an increase of £7.5million investment to support the delivery of vital adult social care services
• an additional £1 million for council home modernisation
• increase in roads and property renewal budgets of £1m each
• planned savings of £8.9 million over the next five years with a commitment to identify further measures to close the budget gap over the medium term

Investment will also continue in local infrastructure and schools through its capital programme, whilst helping to support and protect the local environment.

The uplift of £1 million to the roads budget in 2025-26 brings overall investment in roads over the next five years to £22.7 million.

The capital budget also includes significant investment in the school estate including improvements to security, increasing Additional Support Needs (ASN) provision space and the completion of three new primary schools which are due to open in 2025.

Although a balanced budget was set for 25/26, elected members heard that the rise in Government funding was not enough to cover ongoing cost pressures to the authority including the rise in employer national insurance contributions which are not fully funded. 

Tackling the budget gap

Taking account of planned savings and council tax increases, the budget gap for the council and Integrated Joint Board has reduced to £45.911 million (from £79.718 million) to 2029/30. Officers will carry out further work to develop a range of options to meet the future funding gap. Work will incorporate effective and meaningful engagement with the public and other key stakeholders.

Find out about what our budget for 2025/26 means for residents and services from our website.

Car lease scheme extended to teaching staff

We are excited to announce that we have extended our partnership with NHS Fleet Solutions to offer more employees the opportunity to join our salary sacrifice car lease scheme. Teachers and associated professionals who are members of SPPA pension scheme now have the opportunity to give up some of their gross salary (before tax) to lease a new low emission car for a period of three years (previously the car scheme was only available for members of LGPS pension scheme).

You pay nothing up front and can save money through reduced tax, NI and pension contributions. During the lease period the car will be fully maintained, taxed and insured, and the cost of the lease includes insurance for up to five drivers, road tax, breakdown cover, servicing, windscreen and tyre cover.

Entering this scheme means that you are agreeing to reduce your gross pay for the period of the lease i.e. three years, and you will pay for the lease via monthly salary deductions. Whilst savings are achieved on your Tax, NI and Pension contributions, the reduction in your gross pay will impact on your pension and may affect any benefits you are in receipt of.

This scheme is a great cost effective way to get a brand new low emission car but it's important before making a decision you read the appropriate section in the FAQ's on the intranet and seek appropriate advice.

Find out more by logging on to the intranet, select 'pay and benefits' on the homepage, and then 'salary sacrifice for cars'.

To contact us about this scheme email employeebenefits@eastlothian.gov.uk

Brunton Hall update: staff moves

We are progressing plans to relocate services from the Brunton Hall, Musselburgh.

High praise for social work teams in Chief Social Work Officer's Annual Report 2023-24

On Tuesday 25 February, East Lothian Council’s Chief Social Work Officer Lindsey Byrne presented her Annual Report 2023-2024 to elected members highlighting the level of need and complexity of the county’s most vulnerable citizens has never been higher. 

Ms Byrne advised Council Members that residents are facing significant challenges that make day-to-day life increasingly difficult to manage. The cost-of-living crisis, barriers to accessing mental health support and with more people than ever facing poverty and disadvantage, demand for social work services in East Lothian continues to be significant.  

As we know, Social Work is never an optional extra, it is a critical frontline service with responsibility for the care and protection of our most vulnerable citizens. We strive for positive outcomes, in very difficult circumstances.

High praise for staff 

Both in her presentation and the detailed report, special recognition was made to the significant efforts of the social work and social care workforce who work tirelessly to protect people from harm and to support them to live safely and as independently as possible in their own homes and communities.

Ms Byrne commented: “I never take for granted the skills and commitment of our staff, who regularly go above and beyond to meet the needs of the people that we serve. I would like to take this opportunity to convey my gratitude to them, the relentless passion for the work that they do, and for continuing to make East Lothian a place where we can take real pride and assurance in our social work practices."

These sentiments were repeated by numerous Councillors following the presentation of the report, thanking staff, praising their dedication and commitment to the people of East Lothian. 

Full press release is available to view here.

Annual report contents

The report provides an overview of the successes and challenges faced by each of the social work teams; children's services, adult services, justice social work and the mental health officers. 

Read the full Chief Social Work Officer Annual Report 2023-2024 here 

Presentation at Council Meeting

You can view the presentation by Lindsey Byrne to the East Lothian Council Meeting on Tuesday 25 February.  

Web cast recording of Council Meeting  (Agenda Item 3)

Crookston Care Home continues to shine with top care rating

It’s official - Crookston Care Home has done it again! For the eighth time in a row, the Tranent-based care home has received a ‘very good’ rating across all areas in its latest Care Inspectorate report.

This fantastic achievement is a testament to the dedicated and compassionate team at Crookston, who go above and beyond every day to make sure residents feel safe, comfortable, and truly at home.

The unannounced inspection, carried out in January 2025, praised Crookston for its warm and person-centred approach to care. Inspectors noted the strong relationships between staff and residents, the home’s well-established links with local healthcare professionals, and a high standard of care that promotes residents’ independence and wellbeing.

A home that puts residents first

One of the key strengths highlighted in the report was the responsiveness of staff to residents' individual needs. Regular assessments and ongoing checks ensure that residents receive the right support when it comes to nutrition, medication, and overall health. Relatives also expressed confidence in the care provided, with one family member commenting:

"She’s getting the right level of care. They don’t rush her; they encourage her independence. Always checking in on what she needs."

The introduction of a dedicated housekeeper role has also had a positive impact, allowing carers to focus more on direct support and meaningful interactions with residents.

 

A team to be proud of

The report also praised the teamwork and supportive environment at Crookston, with staff describing managers as approachable and responsive. Both staff and external professionals recognised the strong communication and collaboration that contribute to the home’s ongoing success.

Pauline Skead, Manager of Crookston Care Home, said:
“I am incredibly proud of the team at Crookston for maintaining such high standards year after year. Their dedication and commitment truly make a difference, not just in the inspection report but in the fantastic feedback we receive from residents and their families.”

Fiona Wilson, Chief Officer of East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, echoed this sentiment:
“We’re delighted to receive another glowing report from the Care Inspectorate. The staff at Crookston do an incredible job, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we thank them for their continued efforts and devotion to residents. Caring is such a personal role and often undervalued, but we know just how rewarding it is. For staff, residents are like extended family, and I’m pleased to see this recognised in the report.”

Looking ahead

As part of East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, Crookston Care Home is committed to providing high-quality, person-centred care that allows residents to live with dignity, choice, and independence. This latest inspection confirms that the team continues to uphold these values, ensuring Crookston remains a place where residents feel safe, supported, and at home.

The full Care Inspectorate report is available at: www.careinspectorate.com

Click here for more information about Crookston Care Home

Council takes part in campaign to tackle rural crime

Vehicles belonging to East Lothian Council are taking part in a new police initiative aimed at tackling rural crime.

Under the scheme, waterproof stickers to display on tractors, excavators and other machinery are being provided to farming communities by Police Scotland.

The specially designed stickers encourage police officers on patrols to pull the vehicle over to verify ownership if they are being driven outside routine hours of use.

The aim is to catch thieves making off with stolen property on the roads network.

The scheme was launched during an event held last month at the council’s roads depot in the Macmerry Industrial Estate.

The stickers will be attached to selected vehicles and equipment in the council fleet.

In December last year the depot was targeted in a break-in which saw a rented pick-up truck stolen from the site.

Excellent initiative

Police Scotland have reported that rural thefts in the county increased during January and February 2025 compared with the same period last year.

Provost John McMillan attended the launch alongside the police’s local area commander, Chief Inspector Ben Leathes. Cllr McMillan said: “We are very pleased to support this excellent initiative from Police Scotland to help tackle rural crime in East Lothian.

“The theft of rural vehicles and equipment is a growing problem, and the council would encourage residents to attach these stickers to their property to assist police officers in catching thieves and to act as a deterrent.”

The stickers will be offered to people in rural communities free of charge, either during engagement at their properties or when police attend agricultural events in East Lothian.

Inspector Jordan Low, from Police Scotland’s Rural, Acquisitive and Business Preventions team, said: “Road policing officers and their local policing colleagues have been made aware of the scheme and throughout the course of their duties, should they come across a vehicle displaying one, they will stop and check the vehicle and driver ensure anyone driving is legally permitted to do so.”

12 months in Customer Services, Contact Centre, Libraries, Museums and Web

Laura Hall, Web Manager recently created a video showing Customer Services, Contact Centre, Libraries, Museums and Web data 2023 to 2024. 

Raymond McGill, Contact Centre Manager said:
"The intention was to gather high-level data on the workload in these areas into a more viewer-friendly style so that all our team could quickly see an overview of their work over the previous year. The video also serves to show the wider council the scope and types of work in these areas. The original inspiration came from the 'your year in review' features on apps like Strava, Spotify and others."

He went on to say: "As is inevitable, the video just shows a flavour of the breadth and depth of our work," adding: "It is also important to note that whilst the video focuses more on quantity, separately and more importantly, we are regularly told by customers that the quality of the work carried out by our excellent colleagues and teams is of a very high standard."

Request for council volunteers to support emergency response

Our risk and resilience team is appealing for volunteers to be part of the response to a major incident in the county.

Supporting communities during large-scale emergencies is at the heart of our resilience plans. Although such incidents are rare, when they do occur, it’s important that we respond quickly and effectively, working with emergency services and partner agencies.

“There are lots of roles available and they all play an important role in our incident response,” explains Scott Kennedy, Team Manager – Emergency Planning and Resilience. “Council volunteers carry out vital administrative roles within our Emergency Coordination Centre, as well as potentially in-person support within a Rest Centre. Having a bank of people we can call on if needed is essential in case of an incident. This is why we’re currently looking to increase the number of volunteers. Training is offered and it’s a rewarding area to be involved in.”

Roles include:

Emergency Co-ordination Centre (ECC)

Work within the ECC, based at Penston House, would include supporting a service manager or equivalent to answer calls relating to any emergency and recording them on an incident log within the CRM system.

For those interested in volunteering, the Emergency Planning and Resilience team will be running awareness sessions during 2025, which will last no more than two hours.

These awareness sessions will be informal and explain to you the importance of the role and what it entails, with some initial training on the system and how to log incidents.

Rest Centres

A Rest Centre provides temporary shelter and welfare support including warmth, food and drinks during an incident or evacuation.

We have three main designated rest centres located at Bleachingfield Centre, Dunbar, Musselburgh East Community Learning Centre and Port Seton Community Centre.

We can also use community centres, sports centres, village halls and other council buildings as rest centres if required.

A rest centre exercise is planned for later this year. Anyone volunteering for this role will be able to undertake initial training at a rest centre and understand more about this activity.

Get in touch

If you could help as part of our emergency response in one of these vital roles, please email emergency planning. Include details of which volunteer post(s) you’re interested in and the team will be in touch with the dates of awareness sessions and rest centre training in 2025.

Planning Committee grants permission for new flats in North Berwick

East Lothian Planning Committee met on Tuesday 4 March and heard three applications – two of which related to the former house and Golf Hotel at Dirleton Avenue, North Berwick. 

Planners had recommended refusal of permission to build 14 flats on the site but, following a debate, committee voted six to four to overturn that recommendation and grant permission for the development. A total of 35 objections had been received, with reasons for the objections including that the loss of the hotel would add to the struggle for accommodation for visitors in North Berwick and that the demolition of the building would not preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area. 

Committee heard that the current building is not listed but is within the North Berwick Conservation Area. It has been vacant for four years. In a separate application, it was proposed that the building be demolished, to be replaced by the four storey, detached, flatted building. A total of 27 objections had been received. 

The applications from Caledonian Heritable Ltd had been called off the Scheme of Delegation List by Councillor McFarlane for further discussion in light of East Lothian Council’s Affordable Housing Crisis. Following a debate, committee voted six to four in favour of granting permission for the demolition. Both applications will be brought back to committee for a final determination after a bat survey has been completed. Scottish Ministers will also be informed of the granting of consent to carry out the proposed demolition and may decide to call the application in for determination. 

Retrospective permission for change of use of agricultural land to a dog exercise and day care business was granted eight votes to one but only for a year initially, after which the applicant will need to re-apply for permission. The development at Thorntonloch, Innerwick, has a condition applied, only allowing the operators to use the dog exercise facility between the hours of 8.30am and 1pm, Monday to Friday. The application had been called off the Scheme of Delegation List by Councillor Jardine due to local concerns. One objection had been received. 

The relevant application numbers are: North Berwick, 24/01051/CAC and 24/01050/P and Innerwick, 24/00660/P.

 

East Lothian communities welcome new sculptures – part of a community covid memorial project

Remembering Together is a national project that seeks to give each of Scotland’s 32 local authorities the chance to reflect their unique experience of the Covid-19 pandemic with the help of commissioned artists and creative organisations. Over the past year, East Lothian Council’s Arts Service in collaboration with greenspace scotland has embarked on an extensive process of co-creation with the wider East Lothian community to create memorials that authentically reflect the experiences of residents, and creates a lasting space of gathering for future generations.

In stage one of the project, artists Barbara Gardner-Rowell and Sophie Ferguson co-created six walking trails and an audio archive with the communities of East Lothian. Now as the project reaches its final stages, sculptures - created by artist Gill White are set to be unveiled. 

Gill's response to the theme of collective acts of reflection, remembering, hope and healing was to create a series of curved silver feathers that have been placed in the landscape of each trail walk.

Gill said:
“Each perched feather’s spine is curved upwards to the sun, as if just resting after flowing through the air, lightly touching, making contact with a sea wall, a seat, stream or rock. The intention is to respectfully reflect the experience of loss - of searching for reassurance in the natural world and the comfort that is often found in seeing movements of birds and butterflies in flight, which can bring comfort that a loved one’s presence is still near. Each feather is playfully placed in the landscape as a gentle reminder over time to slow down, be curious, and enjoy the simple pleasure of going for a walk”

The feathers have been installed on the walks in Musselburgh, Tranent, Prestonpans, Haddington and North Berwick, with details of the sixth near Dunbar, to be finalised soon.

Interpretation boards will also be placed at each walk with a QR code for walkers to scan to access a film - A Feather in Time, also created by Gill White.

Gill explained:
“The film invites audiences to follow the journey of a white feather as it floats through the landscape of East Lothian, accompanied by music and spoken word. Its journey has also been inspired by the community experiences held in the audio archive gathered in stage one of the project. The film aims to be nurturing and restorative - taking viewers on a gentle meditative journey of hope, exploring each walk, showing the tactile and sensory experience of spending time immersed in the rich nature of East Lothian landscapes.”

This Remembering Together public art experience aims to sensitively represent the act of memorial - as a walking journey to seek a place to remember loved ones, to reflect and be nurtured by nature, and see hope is on the horizon. Each sculpture’s playful placement is designed to reference the mediative, gentle and sensory experience of going for a walk.

A permanent community archive is now held at John Gray Centre in Haddington, to cement the legacy of the project for participants, as well as providing a valuable resource for future generations. The archive includes digital images, newsletters, journal entries, artefacts, books, artwork and audio recordings of lived experiences of lockdown from people of East Lothian.

Councillor Colin McGinn, Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing and Sport, Countryside and Leisure said:
“Remembering Together has been a far-reaching project which has allowed ordinary people in East Lothian to contribute their personal experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic - an extraordinary time, to reflect on how they came together in a time of crisis and persevered. The walking trails, audio archive, silver feathers and film provide an opportunity to reflect and remember while paying respect to those that we lost.”

Remembering Together East Lothian is delivered by East Lothian Council’s Arts Service and commissioned by greenspace scotland with funding from the Scottish Government.