Dunbar Traders Association have been in dialogue with East Lothian Council for a long time to unblock some of the chronic issues that they perceive affect the traders and to an extent shoppers. Latterly so have we, as individuals and as residents, but for different reasons (a chronic lack of and misdirected investments, poor maintenance and weak/absent citizen engagement).
There is a strong and common desire to make the High Street more attractive and welcoming to visitors and local shoppers, but this is hampered by overly complicated or obscure local government red tape, uncoordinated activities (and lack of joined up thinking), and lack of direction and impetus (there are too many uncoordinated initiatives, and no vision or strategy, as in Musselburgh or Haddington) and there is serious under-investment, while previous efforts have been allowed to fall into disrepair.
For residents, their issues have tended to go completely unheard, as there have never been a consultation processes that reached beyond the usual suspects. Surveys have never targeted the people that live on the street but people who hang out on it during the day or deepened the debate (which if trivialised as it usually is simply yields we’d like a MacDonalds, a theme pub or a New Look). We’ve been airing some of the issues here on this website for a few months now.
The good news is that it seems that our efforts to get the residents voice heard is beginning to work and we are being invited to take part in the initial wider meeting with ELC and DTA, so a really big thanks to DTA and (at least some of) our councillors for listening and pushing this forward.
I do hope that we get personal invites and that all residents get a chance to come along, as numbers will be restricted. The meeting is currently scheduled to take place in the Royal Mac. I’m not sure what the agenda will cover, so why not start to set it here?
So, do you want any extra investment on our High Street to be targeted at the needs of homeowners as well as businesses? (DTA applied to have the house fronts repaired and painted a while back, so they are not entirely self-centered)
Are you happy with our historic conservation are getting rather brash and ugly infrastructure that you never seem to have a say on, and weak enforcement from the planning department? (Count how many illegal satellite dishes there are, it makes a nonsense of our Conservation Area status)
Or perhaps you like the idea of removing the ugly planters and replace them nice specimen trees, helping to abate the extreme wind tunnel effects, mask obstrusive signs and adding year round interest to the streetscape? (In fact tubs=street clutter and obstacles for the old)
Or you’re unhappy with dog owners that let their hounds pee and poo just about anywhere not just against your doorways, shopfronts or railings? (Seriously unhappy)
Do you think there should be a central community garden – accessible from the High Street? (Yes!)
Do you think the vennels and closes could be made more hygienic and welcoming and make access to the larger Co-op store easier?
Would you like the Monks Walk restored to its former glory?
Do you think that if decision makers and shoppers understood that real people live in the town, they would respect it more?
Do you think the public realm should be shaped so that it is more harmonious with the needs of the people that live there, rather than visitors and traders alone?
Whether you want a pocket park, or a proper community garden, an allocation of residents parking, a calmer high street environment, a place to safely park your push bike, a streetscape commensurate with Dunbar’s historic importance, this is a chance to come along and voice your wants.