Chief Executive, Laurence Rockey

Thanks to all the teams involved in preparing the proposals for this year’s budget meeting. It’s arguably the biggest piece of work and the biggest decision our councillors need to make year-on-year, particularly in the current challenging financial climate and taking into account that East Lothian is one of Scotland’s fastest growing areas.

I think the decision taken at Council on Tuesday 23 February puts us on as secure a footing as possible to continue to deliver the best services we can to everyone in East Lothian. The fact that we have been able to increase our council investment in services like council house modernisation and new builds, roads and winter maintenance, school improvements, social care and youth work is fantastic news.

Of course it’s not just council investment alone that brings real benefits to East Lothian but our partnership work and drawing in funding from other sources. A great example of this is the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, which has just reached its halfway point.

One of the major achievements so far in East Lothian has been the construction of the Edinburgh Innovation Hub next to Queen Margaret University, which is a joint venture between our organisation and the University with funding from us and the Scottish and UK Governments, via the Deal. The Hub welcomed its first tenant last year and will continue to grow and provide innovative accommodation and lab space for companies looking to expand with the support of peers and the expertise available via QMU.

Blindwells is one of the key strategic sites identified by the Deal too, and we are developing a business case to help unlock essential capital and revenue funding from the public and private sector, via the City Region Deal, to help Blindwells reach its full potential. It is so important that we make sure this new settlement is well-planned, well-connected and delivers economic opportunities as well as warm, energy efficient homes, including affordable homes which can help to address inequality, child poverty and productivity across the region. Blindwells is Scotland’s first new settlement opportunity at scale since Irvine in 1966 and development of a government-approved business case will be essential to ensure this nationally significant development can progress in a properly planned, managed and funded way.

Meanwhile, I’m continuing to visit our teams and services and I have now enjoyed time at almost all of our schools, with only five left for me to visit. These are always a highlight for me. Endlessly inspirational, vibrant and diverse. I look forward to continuing these visits throughout 2026 and look forward to seeing many of you soon.