Place making project update

Dear colleague

You will be aware that we have been carrying out a place making project looking at council buildings that deliver, or have the potential to deliver, general face-to-face services to the public. This includes looking at the possibility of bringing services together under one roof where the public can speak face-to-face with an advisor, access a library, computers and bookable rooms.

Earlier this year, we carried out a programme of employee and community engagement – thanks to all colleagues who contributed to this and shared their views.

We are now at the stage where a report setting out next steps and potential ways forward will be presented to elected members at a full meeting of the council next Tuesday. You can read this here.

A key recommendation is that we are given approval to explore creating core library/area hubs throughout East Lothian – see further information below.

New approaches to how buildings are operated could help ensure we have good quality, well used facilities within local communities offering modern and flexible facilities to meet the needs of residents and our employees.

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. Similar arrangements have been put in place in other parts of the country.

Background

The background to this is the council’s asset review programme and some of the financial challenges we continue to face as an authority.

Like many other areas of the country, the council faces a number of budgetary challenges with rising demand for services and increased costs at the same time as its government grant, which makes up around 75% of its income, falling in real terms. 

That’s why the council has already approved a number of savings which includes £3.6m from reducing current operational property running costs, alongside £23.4m capital receipts.  In order to address these challenges, the council’s place making project is focused on ensuring the council operates good quality buildings in a sustainable and efficient way.

Key proposals

Following engagement earlier this year with the community partners, public and building users, the report to Tuesday’s meeting proposes further local engagement on a community-by-community basis, including proposals that:

• Officers develop an outline business case to present options and costings for the creation of six core library and area hubs
• Officers consider alternative service delivery models at some existing libraries, community centres and village halls – including Haddington and Dunbar town houses - in partnership with local communities
• Work takes place to establish the feasibility of relocating North Berwick Youth Project to a former nursery adjacent to North Berwick Community Centre
• Elphinstone community centre space will be used to meet future pupil roll requirements at Elphinstone Primary School

Library and area hubs

Based on previous community feedback and engagement, it is proposed that a network of library and area hubs, generally located within the largest town of each local area, is created. These would bring together face-to-face and information services under one roof to improve service delivery, including library provision. These would be designed as trauma informed facilities with good access to public transport and support footfall for local businesses.

Dunbar’s Bleachingfield Centre and Tranent’s George Johnstone Centre are models for how library and area hubs could be developed elsewhere in East Lothian at existing buildings such as North Berwick Library and Coastal Communities Museum, Prestonpans Library and John Muir House, Haddington. Feasibility work to develop Musselburgh Old Town Hall into a library and area hub is also proposed.

Remaining assets that deliver rural library premises could be made available for use by community organisations including alternative delivery of library services at these locations. These would be East Linton Library, Ormiston Library, Gullane Library, Longniddry Library and Port Seton Library. Before making any changes, a statutory consultation would be carried out.

The report also proposes that the council engages with community organisations to assess the viability of a community asset transfer for Haddington Town House, with the council chambers potentially being incorporated within John Muir House.

Consideration will also be required of potential provision to meet future needs at Wallyford and Blindwells.

Separately, councillors agreed in August that work on ensuring accommodation for the arts in Musselburgh and exploring opportunities to finance a replacement of the Brunton Hall is to progress.

Community hubs

It is proposed that communities have the opportunity to take on greater responsibility for operation and possibly ownership of some community centres and village halls, with officers keen to support groups in building the necessary skills and capacity to do this. Buildings which offer the potential for a revised operating model are Macmerry Village Hall, Ormiston Community Centre, Trevelyan Hall in Pencaitland, Nungate and Haddington Community Centre, Haddington Town House, Whitecraig Village Hub, North Berwick Community Centre, Gullane Recreation Hall, Longniddry Community Centre and Library, Pennypit Centre in Prestonpans, Port Seton Centre and Library and Prestonpans Community Centre.

The report also describes how feedback on Dunbar Town House has indicated a community desire to unlock benefits from greater commercialisation of the building, with there being tremendous potential for visual arts activity.

What does this mean for employees?

We recognise this work will generate a lot of interest and questions from colleagues across the council and we know that there are number of employees who work in some of the buildings that could be used differently in future, including run by the community.

It’s important to say that no decisions on proposals for any of these buildings have been made at this time and there are no imminent changes planned. If councillors approve the recommendations from officers at Tuesday’s council meeting, it is expected that engagement with communities, building users and colleagues would take place into and throughout 2026 before decisions on the way ahead are taken.

There have, of course, been a number of changes to how we use buildings in recent years, such as the closure of Randall House and staff re-locating to John Muir House, as well as the mothballing and ultimate closure of the Brunton Hall. While these have resulted in staff being based from different locations, there has been a focus on supporting colleagues and finding the best possible solution for all. This will be no different.

We know from these experiences that it’s important to keep employees updated and there will be significant employee engagement in relation to these potential changes in the months ahead – look out for more details in due course. We are proposing to hold online ‘town hall’ meetings with colleagues to discuss further in the coming weeks.

Council staff have a huge role to play in this process to ensure we have great, modern buildings from which to work and deliver services to our customers.

If you have any queries or comments you can submit a question using this form on the intranet page or by e-mailing the project team placemakingproject@eastlothian.gov.uk

Tom Reid, Head of Infrastructure

Eamon John, Head of Communities