Budget consultation opens for 2026/27

Communities across East Lothian are sharing their views on our financial priorities for 2026/27 after the budget consultation launched on 2 October.

The public consultation has been developed to gather opinions on our overall priorities and to gauge views on a range of matters from services to council tax levels. 

A group of cross-party councillors will meet in the months ahead to discuss spending plans for the new financial year before the budget is formally approved at a Council meeting in February 2026.

All staff are encouraged to take part in the budget consultation and share your insights.

Five key themes

Our financial strategy sets out five key themes to address the significant funding gaps our organisation faces - £10.356m in 26/27 rising to £45.911 by 29/30 after planned savings are accounted for. Consultation respondents are asked to set these in order of the priority they should be given:

• asset rationalisation and energy efficiency – reducing costs by reviewing and rationalising buildings and exploring opportunities to raise income through renewable energy
• income generation – increasing the income the council receives, including through charges and commercial activity
• transformation, service redesign and digitalisation – changing how services operate to make them more efficient, including online
• early intervention and prevention – services that offer earlier support for people to prevent larger/ longer term issues that require expensive interventions
• service reduction – reducing services to deliver savings

They are also invited to comment on services they believe should be protected or reduced, their views on delivery of services online to save money and put forward their own ideas for efficiencies.

Council tax

One quarter of our council’s total funding comes through council tax and the consultation asks for views on whether a rise would be supported and, if so, at what level. Each 1% increment equates to a weekly increase of 30p for an average property in East Lothian.

The consultation is available online until 12 November at www.eastlothian.gov.uk/council-budget. 

Consulting our tenants on next year’s proposed rent increase

All council tenants have been sent a letter and questionnaire explaining the proposals for a rent increase for 2026-7 and asking for their feedback. 

The consultation is live now and will run for six weeks, finishing on Friday 14 November. Feedback from tenants and from the East Lothian Tenants and Residents Panel (ELTRP) will be considered and a report then taken to the special council meeting in February 2026, when councillors will take a decision on the wider council budget – with the rent increase forming part of that process. 

Last financial year the rent increase of 6.5% allowed us to sustain service delivery and prioritise £1m of investment to accelerate the replacement of windows and doors in line with what tenants told us was a priority for them. The rent our tenants pay also enables us to continue to make sure our properties meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by replacing kitchens and bathrooms and carrying out energy efficiency measures.

This year we are looking at a minimum increase of 7%, which is an average increase of £6.12 per week. We know this proposal will be disappointing for some tenants given the financial pressures we all face, but we must balance those pressures with being able to provide a level of service that addresses the high demand for council housing and our need to keep homes safe, secure and well-maintained. 

Options being proposed are:

• 7% (average £6.12 per week) – the minimum required to deliver the service
• 8% (average £7 per week) – to help improve the service further and to invest an additional £1 million to advance the modernisation programme and to increase potential investment in new housing to meet the needs of our tenants
• an additional rent increase but no bigger than an average £8 per week – to help improve the service further, to invest an additional £1 million to advance modernisation and to ensure we are prepared for future energy efficiency standards

The questionnaire can be completed and posted back to us or it can be completed online. Details of support for anyone who needs help giving us their feedback can be found on the website or on the letter sent to tenants.

 

Preventing terrorism in East Lothian

Amongst our council’s varied responsibilities is working with our partners to help keep local residents safe. We do this in a number of ways across different services and teams.

A topic that has become of increased importance nationally in recent years is taking action to stop people from becoming drawn into or supporting terrorism.

In this Q&A, Lindsey Byrne – our Chief Social Work Officer – highlights how colleagues can play their part in supporting East Lothian Council’s work under the UK Government Prevent strategy.

Can you explain what Prevent means?

“There is a national counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, which aims to reduce the risk from terrorism to the UK. Under CONTEST, there are a number of supporting pillars. One of these, called Prevent, is about stopping people from being drawn into supporting terrorism or becoming terrorists. It also covers the rehabilitation and disengagement of those who have become involved in terrorism.”

What is your own role in relation to Prevent?

“Prevent duty guidance for Scotland identifies a range of practical actions that enable councils to work with partners to meet statutory duties in responding to Prevent concerns. As Chief Social Work Officer, I’m tasked with providing local leadership and co-ordination of activity related to Prevent.

“That’s why the council has a Prevent working group which, guided by the Prevent duty guidance for Scotland, works to identify areas for development and keeps track of national developments.”

How does this affect East Lothian?

“While it might at first seem unlikely that some of us would encounter people at risk of being drawn into terrorism, it’s not something we can ever be complacent about and this is a real issue and challenge in all parts of the country. We may be small local authority but most risks in this area take place online. People can gain access to extremely dangerous content regardless of their postcode, so we must remain vigilant.

“It’s important that all colleagues know that, in the event they have concerns or concerns are raised with the about an individual who is considered susceptible or potentially susceptible to be being drawn into terrorism, they can contact me as our Prevent Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to discuss further. NHS Lothian’s Director Public Protection is the Prevent SPOC for health staff. East Lothian Council and NHS Lothian also have deputy SPOCs who can be contacted in the absence of the SPOC.

“In the event of a concern being identified, I would liaise with the Prevent Delivery Unit, a specialist team of officers who deliver Prevent functions for Police Scotland. We would jointly consider whether the information warrants a Prevent referral and for further information to be gathered. Ultimately, it’s about establishing whether the individual requires any support or intervention so that the risk of radicalisation can be reduced.

“It is important that people feel confident that they would notice a concern that could be related to the Prevent agenda, that they check this out with a manager and that they share it with the Prevent SPOC or deputy SPOC. You will be fully supported if your concerns do lead to a Prevent referral. Even if you are not completely sure about what it is you have noticed, please check it out with the right people.”

How would I know if it was appropriate to make a referral to the SPOC?

“As council employees, many of us interact with people living in local communities in various ways and we can be well placed to notice changes in someone’s behaviour.

“There is no exhaustive checklist for identifying a suitable Prevent referral and please remember you do not need to be completely sure to have initial discussions. You might notice someone having a concerning interest in a particular cause, accessing extremist materials, promoting scripted ideological narratives, demonstrating concerning behaviour changes or being acutely intolerant towards people with a perceived difference. The most important thing you can do is contact a SPOC or deputy to have an initial conversation, and we will guide you through the next steps.

“While some staff will require a deeper understanding of radicalisation, we all need to have an appropriate level of awareness. It is mandatory to complete the Prevent E-learning module for all East Lothian staff. If you have not already done so, I would encourage all colleagues to complete the module as soon as possible. After completing the initial awareness module, you will be asked to complete a condensed refresher mandatory module every two years. The modules are hosted on a UK Government website and you can find further information about how to access it on our intranet."

How can I find out more?

“If after completing the e-learning, you or your team feel like you would benefit from more information, please contact me directly to arrange a discussion.”

Proposals for Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme move to next stage

A proposed scheme to reduce flood risks for up to 3,200 properties in the Musselburgh area will move to the next stage of development following a full Council meeting last month.

The current outline design of the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme was confirmed without modifications after councillors gave preliminary approval.

Councillors also approved an amendment asking Scottish Ministers to consider the proposals and hold a public local inquiry. The final decision on the scheme progressing would then be made by Ministers.

During the meeting on 30 September, councillors confirmed that all valid objections, unless already withdrawn, had been carefully considered by our officers before these next steps were agreed. Following a significant public consultation process, we wrote to every objector to offer them a meeting aimed at identifying whether the scheme could be modified and their opposition withdrawn. More than 50 meetings were held with objectors. 

Meetings have also taken place with various organisations working in partnership with us to advance the scheme, including Historic Environment Scotland, NatureScot, SEPA, and the RSPB. We are currently working with NatureScot and the RSPB to resolve their objections without the need to modify the proposals while Historic Environment Scotland has now withdrawn its objection.

Outline scheme

Councillors further agreed that the project team, working in consultation with the planning authority, should seek to deliver 52 proposed changes to the scheme.

The measures were approved after our officers presented a report setting out the history of flooding in Musselburgh and the increasing threat it poses from the river, the coast, and the impacts of climate change. In addition, the report detailed the engagement carried out with the local community to help develop the proposals.

An outline design, focused on reducing flood risk using evidence-based techniques while retaining the town’s historic character and natural environment, was first approved by councillors in January 2024. It has subsequently been presented to stakeholders and the public through a statutory consultation process in line with the requirements of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009.

Although a detailed design is still to be developed, the outline scheme is aimed at bringing about a major reduction of flooding risks, preventing waters spilling onto the natural flood plains on which Musselburgh was built over the centuries. This includes the modification of two reservoirs in the South Esk catchments, the replacement of four existing bridges with new structures that won’t impede the onward flow of water and flood debris, the provision of a large debris catcher located upstream of the town, and river restoration works along the Esk corridor.

The project would also involve the creation of new drainage and pumping stations, engineering works on the Pinkie Burn to manage flood waters on this small burn, modifications to the Musselburgh Mill Lade to achieve flow control, new physical defences along the River Esk Corridor and Coastal Foreshore, and the modification of Fisherrow Harbour to incorporate it into the coastal defences.

As the proposed works would constitute part of the National Flood Protection Scheme Programme, the Scottish Government will provide 80 per cent of its eligible cost.

The full papers are available to view online.

Edinburgh Innovation Hub already providing huge community benefits

Minister for Public Finance Ivan McKee MSP met council representatives at the Edinburgh Innovation Hub (EIH) on 1st October to hear about the project's approach to Community Wealth Building, which has been embedded from the very start of planning and construction.

The EIH is a joint venture between the council and Queen Margaret University (QMU). It will be a nationally significant centre for innovation-driven business growth, creating new high-value employment, and is the anchor project of the planned Edinburgh Innovation Park. 

Work started on the building in early 2024 and it is expected to be ready for new tenants by mid-October. If offers flexible laboratory, office and fully equipped meeting and conference spaces for rent by small to medium enterprises (SMEs) with a particular focus on life sciences, food and drink, tech, start-ups and companies and organisations with links to the university and strategic partners. There has been significant interest from potential tenants. 

EIH is part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal (ESESCRD) and is supported by £28.6 million from the UK Government, £1.4 million from the Scottish Government and £10 million from East Lothian Council. 

Mr McKee met representatives from EIH, East Lothian Council, QMU, ESESCRD and the contractor Heron Bros on-site today and was particularly interested to hear about the embedding of Community Wealth Building from the outset. 

Highlights include:

• Local spend: Heron Bros’ local spend within a 40 mile radius is over £400,000 over the course of the project, with more than £22,000 of charitable donations made and 50 hours of Heron Bros staff volunteering over the period.
• Local employment: More than 400 staff employed during the construction period, with 66% of labour from within the region. Two East Lothian residents were supported into newly created positions and have sustained their roles for the duration of the construction phase.
• Progressive Procurement – Meet the Buyer: Heron Bros and ESESCRD held a ‘meet the buyer’ event, inviting suppliers and contractors from the local area to attend during a critical procurement period of the project. Notable outcomes included: a local bricklaying subcontractor who attended the event being contracted to install all brickwork at EIH, now moving onto other projects with Heron Bros across Scotland; the local concrete supplier also attended the event and provided all concrete for the main structure, slabs and kerbing; the on-site caterer was an East Lothian social enterprise. The event also helped potential subcontractors gain a better understanding of public procurement including processes, timelines and accessing support from local enterprise agencies, giving them the best possible advantage to secure future work.
• Employability and Education: ESESCRD and Heron Bros engaged with various local schools and education partners offering numerous site visits and work placements. During these placements the site team and sub-contractors engaged in daily taster sessions with placement attendees, giving them real-world experience of the daily task of painters, electricians, plumbers, joiners, engineers and site managers.
• Construction Skills Academy/Scottish Pathways to Construction: Heron Bros, along with various industry partners, took a central role in the launch of a new industry-wide construction programme designed to support local individuals from under-represented groups progress into fair, secure and supported opportunities within the construction industry. Heron Bros delivered and shaped training, site visits and work placements – a great opportunity to engage the local population in construction and the EIH. The success of this pilot has led to the programme now being rolled out across Scotland. 

Community Wealth Building is a progressive economic model with a people-centred approach, which redirects wealth back into the local economy through various means including progressive procurement, fostering more social and environmentally-orientated businesses and co-ops, and fair employment including Real Living Wage employers and increased employment opportunities for local people and from priority groups. 

More information on the Edinburgh Innovation Hub is on the website. 

For more information on our Community Wealth Building approach, visit the council website.

 

Story garden proves a hit with readers

Dunbar Library recently welcomed Edinburgh-based author Nadine Aisha Jassat (pictured) for a creative storytelling workshop to celebrate the end of the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge: Story Garden.

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

Children from local primary schools and their grown-ups enjoyed Nadine’s poems and inventing their own stories, complete with book-cover bunting – you can visit Dunbar Library to view their amazing work! East Linton’s Night Owl Books provided books for a busy author signing with Nadine.

 A total of 838 children read 3297 books over the summer holidays – up by 19% and 9.6% last year respectively. East Lothian primary school pupils demonstrated their love of reading, with Dunbar Primary School boasting the most individual pupils taking part in the challenge. East Linton Primary School had the highest proportion of pupils take part, while Musselburgh Burgh Primary had the biggest growth in participant numbers since last year’s challenge. 

Congratulations to all of our readers and our library service for another successful Summer Reading Challenge.

Legal open hour drop-in

Our legal team would like to invite you to drop into the legal open hour.

These are one-hour, online sessions where our solicitors and paralegals will give a half hour presentation on a specific topic or case study and then be available for questions from colleagues.

Topics will include:

• updates to the law
• how to avoid common issues in court processes
• what to expect from being a witness in court
• how to instruct the team
• focused sessions on specific processes or duties

If you have a question, a process or option you would like to see a session on or a case study you would like discussed, please let the team know so it can be added to the schedule.

Email your suggestions

The focus of these topics will run on a five-weekly rotating basis, although you can attend any session which you are interested in or touches on work you are involved in. Watch out for linked sessions which will include one process or situation seen from the perspective of different services, joint sessions delivered from both the litigation and commercial/property teams and guest appearances from the information governance team.

Sessions will also include more general discussion on things like good record keeping, complaints and feedback and general risk management.

For more information and to sign up, click the link on the intranet homepage or search ‘Legal Team’ in the A to Z on the intranet.

New finance system - latest news

Video demonstrations of the new finance system, Connected Intelligence Anywhere (CiA), are being shared as we prepare for its introduction.

A newsletter update emailed to all staff email addresses includes a project update and links to the videos which outline how to make and approve a purchase. This is the first opportunity many colleagues will have had to view the new system. The newsletter is also available to download from the intranet homepage.

Go live

Work continues to ensure the system is ready and colleagues are also prepared ahead of a go live date being announced. A staged introduction means that not everyone will need to use it immediately and feedback can be gathered as the roll-out continues. The project team will share more information on this process in due course.

Find out more

Read the article from last month's Inform

Download the newsletter from the intranet (follow the homepage advert or search Finance in the A-Z of services)

If you have any queries or feedback please contact the finance project team: financesysproject@eastlothian.gov.uk

Fa’side Lodge site now home to new council and assisted living properties

A site in the centre of Tranent, with a rich and varied history, has now been transformed as the home of 28 much-needed new council houses, 13 of which will be assisted living properties. 

The land near the top of Church Street became available for development following the demolition of the Fa’side Lodge care home in 2016. We then worked with partners to identify the best use of the site. 

The result is that we now have 10 much-needed new one-bedroom flats as well as four two-bedroom flats and a wheelchair accessible bungalow for council rent. In addition, 13 properties will be leased to East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership for people with support needs – a mix of one and two-bedroom flats, cottage flats and bungalows – all built by JR Group. 

High build standards include future-proofing features such as being digitally enabled, electric vehicle infrastructure and points, automatic fire suppression systems and zero direct emissions heating.

The site has been an important one in Tranent life for centuries, lately as the location of the Fa’side Lodge care home which was built in the 1970s, as well as a church and GP surgery. Before that it housed the much-loved Tranent Public School, which was built in 1877 but was sadly destroyed by fire in 1958. It is believed that housing had been on the site since the early 17th century and it was known as Pigeon Square up to the mid-1800s, before being demolished ahead of the school construction.

 

Workforce travel survey 2025 now live

In 2024 our Active and Sustainable Travel team worked in partnership with a local business to develop a cutting-edge tool for workforce travel planning. A year later, and CalCommuter tool is now used by several local authorities across Scotland, and beyond.

Targeted approach

Following the success of last year’s pilot, we are again making use of the CalCommuter tool to conduct our workforce travel survey for 2025. To all staff who completed a survey last year, the the Active and Sustainable Travel team would like to say a big thank you. This year, in a more targeted approach, the survey will be undertaken across 12 key worksites only.

All staff based at the following key worksites (even if you work from home and/or completed a survey last year) are strongly encouraged to complete the CalCommuter form before it closes on 3 November 2025:

• Dunbar Grammar School
• John Muir House
• Kinwegar Waste Services Depot
• Knox Academy / Meadowpark CP Unit
• Musselburgh Grammar School
• North Berwick High School
• Penston House
• Preston Lodge High School
• Ross High School / The Brae
• Wallyford Primary School / Nursery
• Wallyford Learning Campus (e.g. Rosehill High School / The Brae / Community Centre)
• Windygoul Primary School

Benefits for you

Save time and money: Ever wondered if there’s a quicker, cheaper way to get to work? CalCommuter crunches the numbers for you, comparing your current commute with alternative routes and modes of transport.

Reduce your carbon footprint: Each one of us plays a vital role in our council's environmental goals. Use your personalised commute plan to go green.

Contribute to data-driven decisions: Your participation helps shape the future of commuting at East Lothian Council.

“Filling out the survey was a breeze, and the results were really interesting. Highly recommend taking those few minutes - it's worth it!"

Scan the QR code or follow this link to complete the survey

If you have any questions about this year’s survey please get in touch with our Active and Sustainable Travel Officer, Richard Kerr, at rkerr1@eastlothian.gov.uk

Planning Committee approves plans for parking meters in North Berwick

Planning Committee met on Tuesday 7 October and members approved plans for 27 parking meters, grouped in 12 planning applications, in locations in North Berwick town centre. 

The parking meters will be solar powered, so no cables or utilities connections will be needed, standing at just over 1.5 metres high, with a black front and high security stainless steel body with anti-graffiti coating. They will accept cash or card (chip and pin or contactless) payments and will be compliant with all relevant standards for disabled access. 

Between six and 29 objections were received for each of the 12 applications, with the main grounds including that the meters will cause an obstruction on already narrow pavements, that they will not solve current parking issues, that they will neither preserve nor enhance the Conservation Area or the settings of nearby listed buildings, and that there is local opposition to parking meters. North Berwick Community Council objected to all the applications, except Kirk Ports, on which they made no comment. 

Planning Officers recommended approval of the proposals, stating that the slim design and positioning of the meters would not have a detrimental impact on their locations and, given the distance between the parking meters and the intervening land and buildings between them, the proposed meters would not lead to any harmful cumulative impact on the Conservation Area or loss of amenity to any neighbouring residential properties. 

The full list of locations for meters agreed at Planning Committee is; four on High Street, three on Melbourne Place, three on Forth Street, two on Quality Street and one within The Lodge car park, three on St Andrew Street, two on St Margarets Road, two at Westgate, two on Melbourne Road, two at Kirk Ports, one at School Road, one at Quadrant and one in the car park at Tantallon Terrace. 

Councillor Findlay had proposed an amendment to the High Street application, to refuse permission for the meter in front of St Andrew Blackadder Church at 83 High Street, which was seconded by Councillor Allan. This option was included in the roll-call vote. Members voted to approve the original application, with the St Andrew Blackadder Church meter included, eight votes to three. 

Voting for the other applications was as follows: Melbourne Place, approved nine votes to one; Forth Street, approved nine votes to one; Quality Street approved nine votes to one; St Andrew Street approved nine votes to one; St Margarets Road approved nine votes to one; Westgate approved eight votes to two; Melbourne Road, approved nine to one; Kirk Ports, approved eight to one (Councillor Hampshire will speak to the project team about a potential relocation of the car park meter to ensure no confusion because of the proximity to High Street); School Road, approved eight votes to one; Quadrant, approved eight votes to one and Tantallon Terrace approved seven votes to one. For noting, voting numbers changed as two committee members had to leave the meeting before the end. 

The relevant application numbers are: High Street, 25/00352/P; Melbourne Place, 25/00355/P; Forth Street, 25/00764/P; Quality Street, 25/00655/P; St Andrew Street, 25/00762/P; St Margarets Road 25/00363/P; Westgate, 25/00365/P; Melbourne Road, 25/00731/P; Kirk Ports, 25/00636/P; School Road, 25/00360/P; Quadrant, 25/00358/P; Tantallon Terrace, 25/00657/P.

Elections Officer secondment opportunity

A six-month secondment opportunity has arisen within Democratic Services to support the delivery of elections on behalf of the Returning Officer. The closing date is 19 October 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 from MyJobScotland. 

If you would like an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact Hazel Boak, Team Leader - Democratic Services: hboak@eastlothian.gov.uk