News
First look at new website as project moves forward
A group of Web Editors from across the council met in Penston House on 21 October for a project update and to learn more about the planned move to our new website next year.
Our current website Content Management System (Jadu), reaches the end of its contract in August 2026, and so we will therefore be moving the website onto a new system, called LocalGov Drupal.
This change will improve the digital customer journey, reduce long-term costs and ensure continuous development. LocalGov Drupal is built and maintained by a community of developers, content designers and digital leaders from over 60 local councils across the UK and Ireland. Membership to the LocalGov Drupal Community gives us a number of benefits, such as lower development costs, free upgrades and features, and access to a cross-council development community.
Laurence Rockey – our Chief Executive – attended the event at Penston House and spoke to the Web Editors. He said: “This initiative marks a significant step forward in modernising our digital presence and improving the online services for our customers, who are increasingly digitally savvy, mobile-first, and who expect a seamless, intuitive experience. Thanks to the collaborative efforts across teams the project has already achieved several key milestones.”
Design preview
The project team is delighted with the new design for the website – it's clean, accessible, calm, and user friendly. Take a first look at these screenshots:
Migration Plan
Web Editors across the council have been preparing the webpages for the migration. The project's next steps for the project are:
Queries
If you have any queries, contact the Web Team: webteam@eastlothian.gov.uk. You can also check who your departmental web editors are on the intranet.
Election 2026: could you work at a Polling Place or the East Lothian count?
Scottish Parliament Elections will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026. The elections team is currently looking for notes of interest from any staff aged 18 or over who would like to work at either a poling place or the election count.
Employees will need their manager’s authorisation to release them for the day(s) - you do not need to take annual leave or flexi to work at the election.
Polling day – Thursday 7 May
The role of the polling place team is to ensure voters can cast their vote in secret, free from influence and in a calm atmosphere.
Training is mandatory for all poll staff; online training to be completed at a time convenient to you and a briefing session via Teams. New poll staff will be given additional in-person training
Read more about the poll staff roles.
Count - Friday 8 May
The count will take place, during the day, on Friday 8 May, therefore, with manager’s approval, it will be possible to work on both polling day and the count
Contact elections team
Please contact elections team to register your interest: elections@eastlothian.gov.uk. The team will be in touch with you in early January with a form to complete with approval from your manager
External staff will also have the opportunity to apply to work on polling day, further details are available from our website.
Festive pay dates 2025
Pay dates have been confirmed for December 2025 and January 2026 salary and wages.
While every effort will be made to ensure payment, employees and managers should ensure that all claim forms are submitted by the dates below. Claims which arrive after these dates cannot be guaranteed for payment given the reduced working days.
Please email payrollforms@eastlothian.gov.uk if you have any queries about these deadlines.
Weekly pay
Pay date 18 December 2025 - three weeks normal pay
To ensure this is an accurate payment all relevant information must be with Payroll Section on or before Tuesday 9 December 2025. Detailed below are the dates by which weekly timesheets must be submitted.
Date of submission
|
Timesheets required
|
Payment date
|
| 9 December 2025 |
Actual hours for week ending 7/12/2025
(+ 2 weeks basic hours no timesheets required)
|
18 December 2025 |
| 16 December 2025 |
Actual hours for week ending 14/12/2025 |
08 January 2026 |
| 6 January 2026 |
Actual hours for week ending 21/12/2025 plus amendments only for w/e 28/12/2025 and 04/01/2026
|
15 January 2026 |
Note – any overtime worked over New Year will be included in your pay on 15/01/2026
Four-weekly pay
Pay date Thursday 27 November 2025 - normal payment, no amendment required.
Next pay date due Thursday 25 December 2025 will be paid early on Tuesday 23 December 2025.
To ensure an accurate payment all relevant information must be with Payroll section on or before Wednesday 3rd December 2025.
Next pay date: Thursday 22 January 2026.
Monthly Salary (including Permanent Teachers/Casual and supply claims)
Pay dates Monday 22 December 2025 and Wednesday 28 January 2026.
To ensure accurate payment all relevant information must be with Payroll Section on or before Wednesday 3 December 2025 and Tuesday 6 January 2026 respectively.
Christmas 2025 - last posting dates for UK and international services
Royal Mail Customer Services has confirmed the last posting dates for Christmas
Last posting dates for inland services
Date
|
Service
|
| Wednesday, 17 December |
2nd Class
2nd Class Signed For
|
| Friday, 19 December |
Royal Mail Tracked 48®*
|
| Saturday, 20 December |
1st Class
1st Class Signed For
|
| Sunday, 21 December |
Royal Mail Tracked 24®
|
| Tuesday, 23 December |
Special Delivery Guaranteed®
|
*Friday, 19 December is the latest posting date for Royal Mail Tracked Returns® 48 to arrive back with the sender before Christmas.
International delivery
- you can find a list of our published delivery aims in Royal Mail's Country Guides. If you are sending gifts or goods to the USA, please note, that recent changes to customs procedures may affect delivery times. For more details about these changes and
- how they may affect items you send to the USA, visit the dedicated web page.
To see all the last posting dates please visit Royal Mail's Get ready for Christmas page.
First steps towards a data centre at Cockenzie
We have selected a preferred supplier via a tender process and will now begin the first steps to look at siting a hyperscale data centre on the former coal store site at Cockenzie. 
There are several steps to be completed to determine the feasibility of the project, with the overall aim being a Joint Venture between the council and Sustainable Development Capital LLP (SDCL) to deliver a data centre with associated local training and job opportunities plus a long-term investment and financial benefit for the council.
The potential centre would be located on part of the former coal store site, leaving the wider site, including the footprint of the power station, available for other future developments.
Before any development can take place, the plans would need to be assessed fully through the normal planning application process and members of the public would have the opportunity to comment on the proposal.
It is estimated that it will take up to a year to finalise legal agreements before getting to the statutory public consultation stage, however we are keen to engage with the community on this project as early as possible, with next steps to be confirmed in the coming months.
SDCL was selected as preferred supplier following a competitive tender process, agreed via a private report to Council in February 2025. We had received a large number of enquiries from operators interested in siting a data centre at Cockenzie so Council agreed to embark on the tender process to identify the preferred supplier.
Council actions improve Musselburgh’s air quality
Environmental measures taken by our council have helped bring about a significant improvement in Musselburgh’s air quality.
An Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) order was introduced in the town centre in 2013 due to the levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exceeding national targets.
This led to the creation of an Air Quality Action Plan which has contributed to a reduction in air pollution. The 13 measures outlined in our plan included decreasing the impact of road traffic pollution from buses on the High Street, encouraging active travel, and adopting the ECO Stars scheme which supports HGV, van, bus and coach operators to run their fleets more efficiently.
Air quality targets met
No readings above air quality targets for NO2 – commonly emitted by vehicle exhausts – have been recorded in Musselburgh since 2016.
As a result, we’re seeking to revoke the AQMA and a public consultation was launched on 20 October asking for feedback on the move.
The order covers Musselburgh’s High Street from its junction with Newbigging and extending westwards to the junction with Bridge Street and Mall Avenue.
Revocation of the AQMA will not impact the frequency of air quality monitoring and reporting for the area.
Statutory obligation
Our council has a statutory obligation to monitor air quality and take corrective action where pollutant concentrations are above permitted objective levels.
In 2022 a detailed assessment of air quality in Musselburgh was carried out by independent consultants. They concluded we may wish to consider revocation of the AQMA.
The proposed Musselburgh Revocation Report can be viewed on our website.
The consultation will run until Friday, 14 November.
Get married in East Lothian!
The communications team has been working with our Registrars and Customer Services colleagues to produce an attractive and informative brochure advertising our marriage and civil partnership services and our historic venues at Haddington’s John Muir House and Dunbar Town House & Museum.
You can find the brochure on our website and on Visit East Lothian’s site via the Dunbar Town House and Adam Room listings.
We’ll be putting out some social media posts over the next few weeks to promote this. If you know someone who’s planning a wedding, do share this with them! Printed versions will also be available in council offices and at some main wedding venues across East Lothian as our Registrars regularly travel and officiate elsewhere.
We’ll be doing some more promotional work in January to highlight our services to happy couples who get engaged over the festive season. Here’s hoping our Registrars can play a big part in many more celebrations next year!
Annual Landlord Report to tenants out now
Our annual report showing how East Lothian Council has performed as a landlord in the financial year to March 2025, in relation to the Scottish Social Housing Charter standards, is out now.
Highlights include that we are better than the Scottish average in terms of emergency repair times and we have a greater than 85% tenant satisfaction score for non-emergency repairs.
We have also carried out 140 kitchen and 417 bathroom replacements, replaced 276 heating systems and carried out 389 window and door replacements. You can read the full report on our website.
Views sought on proposed active travel measures in Musselburgh
Colleagues can take part in a public consultation seeking views on proposed active travel improvements on Musselburgh’s Station Road.
The proposals form part of the Musselburgh Active Toun (MAT) project which aims to deliver safer and more attractive routes for walking, wheeling, and cycling.
Supporting sustainable travel
Station Road lies on Route 5 of the MAT scheme which would link Old Craighall, Queen Margaret University and Musselburgh Station to the town centre, supporting sustainable travel for residents, students, and visitors.
Under the concept designs being considered in the consultation launched earlier this month, a new shared use footpath would be created and various traffic calming measures introduced.
While this section of Route 5 sits within the general footprint of the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme, it is being progressed as part of MAT. The MAT project team, which includes design consultants Jacobs and AECOM along with ourselves, are working closely with the Musselburgh Flood Protection team to ensure coordination of their work.
Improve connectivity in Musselburgh
We’re proposing to introduce six active travel routes between key destinations in Musselburgh to improve connectivity and reduce reliance on cars. Following previous public engagement, proposals for three routes have advanced to the detailed design stage.
Transport Scotland has provided approximately £250,000 in funding to progress design work on multiple proposed projects on the MAT network during 2025/26.
The public consultation will run until Monday, 15 December.
Anyone wishing to take part in the consultation can visit the project website to explore the proposals and submit comments at https://bit.ly/MusselburghActiveToun
Procurement update: working with local suppliers and Heads of Service report feedback
The importance of including local suppliers and new supplier in a procurement exercise is being highlighted by our procurement team.
Working with local suppliers whenever there is an option can bring value to the contract by:
- boosting the local economy
- creating jobs
- fostering community wealth building and stronger relationships
- cutting transportation costs
Local sourcing supports the community and aligns with sustainability goals by lowering our carbon footprint. Scotland's Community Wealth Building (CWB) framework also highlights local procurement as a key strategy for increasing local wealth and empowering communities.
At Procurement events such as ‘Meet the Buyer’, our procurement team engages with a wide range of suppliers who express interest in working with our organisation. They ensure to collect all relevant details from suppliers and share with the appropriate service areas.
If you're involved in buying goods or services and need support, please contact the Procurement team for advice.
In August procurement issued a pilot of its new Head of Service reports.
Feedback received highlighted the reports have been helpful, especially for providing a high-level overview of expiring procurements. Suggestions for improvement were also made, which include adding a section to contracts that are due to expire in the 18–24-month period.
The service will now prepare a council-wide report for Corporate Management Team and seeking to further improve these reports for the next issue in January 2026. The reports will cover:
- procurement performance overview
- market supplier insights
- strategic themes and impacts
- innovation
- governance and compliance
The reports will aim to identify where procurement can deliver better value for money, highlight opportunities for cost savings, efficiency and innovation as well as support planning for future procurement activity and contract renewals.
Please contact procurement team if you would like to share any further feedback.
Planning Committee agrees to object to plans for a solar farm near Dunbar
At a meeting of East Lothian Planning Committee on Tuesday 4 November, committee members agreed to object to plans for a solar farm and battery energy storage facility on land near Oldhamstocks, Dunbar.
The application had been called off the Scheme of Delegation by Councillor Collins due to extreme local concerns about the project and its potential impact on the local area. The application, by Voltalia UK Ltd, will be decided by the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit (ECU). The council is a statutory consultee.
The plans involved an area of 20 agricultural fields, primarily used for rotational arable and livestock farming, interspersed with areas of woodland. The proposed solar farm and associated infrastructure would span 15 of these fields, including a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the northern end of the site. Some residential properties lie within the site boundary and others close by. Developers proposed to operate the site, which includes fencing, lighting and CCTV, for 40 years.
We received 51 objections to the plans for reasons including loss of agricultural land, environmental and biodiversity impact, landscape and visual impact, the effect on the character and amenity of the local community and road safety concerns. Local community councils also objected to the proposals.
Following a debate, committee members voted unanimously to uphold planners’ recommendation that the council strongly object to the proposal due to significant concerns regarding the adequacy of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report and the scale and nature of the potential impacts on the East Lammermuir area and beyond. Following a point made by Councillor McIntosh, a specific objection on access and recreation grounds will be amended to refer to not complying with Scottish access legislation.
As the council has objected to the plans, raising significant concerns, it is now likely that Scottish Ministers will need to hold a Public Enquiry on the application.
Read more including decisions made on other applications that were considered by the committee on our website.
Armistice Day: two-minute silence 11am on 11 November
On Tuesday 11 November at 11am, council colleagues will join people across the country in observing the traditional two-minute silence, a moment to pause and reflect on the sacrifices made in the past and the importance of peace in the present. A special ceremony will also be held that morning for veterans working within East Lothian Council.
Our Armed Forces Champion, Provost John McMillan said:
“Each year, our communities gather to remember those whose courage and sacrifice secured the freedoms we enjoy today. As we mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War, it feels especially important to honour their legacy and ensure that the stories of service and resilience continue to be told.
“Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day give us a chance to come together – to stand still, reflect, and give thanks. It’s a tradition that binds generations and reminds us of our shared responsibility to build a peaceful future. I encourage everyone to participate in the two-minute silence wherever you might be at 11am on the 11th.”
Remembrance parades held
Communities across East Lothian came together as a series of remembrance parades and services took place on Sunday, 9 November to honour the service and sacrifice of those who gave their lives in conflict, as the nation marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
Events took place in: Pencaitland, Tranent, Elphinstone, Haddington, Prestonpans, North Berwick, Cockenzie and Port Seton, and Musselburgh and Inveresk, offering residents the opportunity to reflect and pay tribute to the men and women who have served in the armed forces.
In addition, Knox Academy hosted a coffee morning for veterans on Thursday 6 November, welcoming local veterans, pupils and staff to share memories and conversation.
The Last Flight
The following poem, The Last Flight, is shared at services across the country to mark the occasion:
In skies of blue, they soared so high,
With courage bold, they touched the sky.
Through roaring winds and clouds of grey,
They flew for peace; they paved the way.
The engines hummed a steadfast tune,
Beneath the sun, beneath the moon.
Through trials fierce, they held their ground,
In freedom’s name, their hearts were bound.
And when the call for rest was near,
They faced the end without a fear.
Their final flight, a hero’s grace,
To endless skies, a timeless space.
So now we stand, in solemn pride,
For those who lived, for those who died.
Their wings of valour, forever bright,
We honour them on this Armistice night.
Armed Forces Network
Colleagues who are veterans who have not yet received an invitation can find out more about the special reception on 11 November 2025 by emailing armedforcesemployeenetwork@eastlothian.gov.uk
Five-month secondment opportunity to support elections
A five-month secondment opportunity has arisen within Democratic Services to support the delivery of elections on behalf of the Returning Officer. The closing date is 23 November for applications.
The Elections Officer’s main duties include:
- assist with the planning and administration of the Scottish Parliament election
- lead in securing polling places in accordance with agreed Polling Place Scheme, liaising with venue contacts to ensure they are fit for purpose and equipped with suitable furniture.
- assist with the recruitment and training of circa 350 temporary election staff, including poll staff, postal vote staff, count staff and other ad hoc staff
- lead in the preparation of polling station and count materials
Educated to HNC/SVQ Level 3 or equivalent in business administration or other relevant subject, the postholder needs to have previous experience of working in a local authority or other complex organisation along an understanding of the electoral process.
This is a secondment opportunity for INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLY
Applications for this post will only be accepted from current employees of East Lothian Council (this includes casual and agency staff who are currently undertaking work for us). Any current employee wishing to apply for this temporary post as a secondment should discuss it with their current line manager in the first instance.
Find out more at myjobscotland reference number EAL11969.
Informal discussion
If you would like an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact Hazel Boak, Team Leader - Democratic Services: hboak@eastlothian.gov.uk
Visitor Levy engagement – update
Last month, we launched an early engagement process to explore the potential introduction of a Visitor Levy in East Lothian.
This followed the passing of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024, which gives local authorities the option to introduce a percentage-based charge on overnight stays in accommodation such as hotels, self-catering, caravan parks, and campsites.
At this stage, no decisions have been made. The purpose of this engagement is to gather views from businesses, residents, visitors and community organisations on whether a levy should be introduced, how it could be designed and collected, and how funds might be reinvested to benefit local communities and the visitor economy.
To support this process, we are working with 56 Degree Insight, who are leading the engagement work. So far, businesses, residents and community groups have been actively feeding into responses, helping us build a clearer picture of local priorities and concerns.
We want to hear from as many people as possible. The survey is open to everyone and will remain live until 30 November 2025. Your input is vital to ensure that any future decisions reflect the needs and priorities of East Lothian’s communities and tourism sector.
To take part, please visit the 56 Degree Insight survey page.
Please share the link, which is available from the front page of our website, with any interested colleagues, partners and networks to help us reach a wide audience.
WIN with The Brunton: Wizard of Oz tickets
Win a family ticket* to The Brunton’s Pantomime – The Wizard of Oz at the Corn Exchange, Haddington
Join Dorothy and a whole host of familiar faces on a whirlwind journey bursting with chart-topping pop hits, shout-out loud silliness and plenty of local laughs. Expect flying monkeys, fabulous frocks and more sparkle than a Tin Man's tin foil hat!
With festive fun, hilarious characters and heart-warming moments, this much-loved story gets the full-on panto makeover - with a few surprise twists along the way.
Starring a brilliant professional cast alongside a talented chorus of local young performers, this is the ultimate Christmas treat for all ages.
The Wizard of Oz is at the Corn Exchange, Haddington, from 5 to 13 December and Loretto Theatre, Musselburgh from 19 to 27 December. Find out more from The Brunton's website.
To win simply answer this question:
- What is Dorothy's dog called?
Email your answer to inform@eastlothian.gov.uk before 5pm on Friday 21 November. One winner will be chosen at random after the closing date.
*four people including at least one child
The winner will be offered a choice of dates between 5 and 13 December, subject to availability.
Schools return online after anti-virus alert investigation
East Lothian schools are back online after an investigation into anti-virus alerts on our education network has concluded that systems are secure.
Schools were taken offline as a precautionary measure on Monday 10 November to maintain the system's integrity in response to a series of anti-virus alerts. IT security officers worked closely with the Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre, the national agency for cyber security, and other partners to carry out forensic analysis of the alerts and affected devices. Suppliers and national agencies including Department for Work and Pensions and Education Scotland were kept informed throughout.
Business continuity
Chromebooks were re-enabled on a school-by-school basis on Wednesday 11 November offering connection to key education sites including Google classroom. Schools used established business continuity plans to continue learning while windows devices were unavailable while facilities teams and other services moved to manual processes.
The investigation concluded that there was no infiltration of systems and our data remains secure. Schools were brought back online on Thursday 13 November.
Safe and secure
Our Chief Executive Laurence Rockey praised all of the teams involved, saying: “We take the security of our systems and the information they hold incredibly seriously. Our safeguards have done exactly what they are intended to do by detecting a potential threat; officers have then worked at speed to respond, maintain the integrity of our systems and carry out a robust investigation into the cause with Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre and other partners.
“This has been a cross-council effort not only in the response to the network alerts, but also to continue supporting children and young people to learn in schools.
“I’d like to commend all of our school teams, including facilities colleagues, families and learners for their patience and understanding while these investigations were completed. The confirmation that our network is safe and secure and a return to normal business practices will be welcomed by everyone.”
The education network is separate to our council’s corporate network which was not affected.