This week’s East Lothian Courier carried the story on ELC’s plan to return to Pencaitland for further consultations with villagers this coming Tuesday.
The public showing of the parallel footpath plans is set to take place this coming Tuesday in Trevelyan Hall between 2pm and 6pm. We would urge everyone to try to make this event but if you can’t, please do the survey below which will be shared with the Council.
If you don’t see the survey question above you can click here
Villagers are to get another opportunity to express their views about Pencaitland’s narrow main-road footpath. In September, plans agreed by a range of community groups and ELC transport officials were expected to be passed by ELC Planning Committee. But Planning delayed its decision, saying it wants to ensure villagers have another chance to review the the same plans.
A letter to villagers explains that a public consultation is being offered to all interested locals in Pencaitland’s Trevelyan Hall between 2pm and 8pm on Tuesday the 30th of October. Transport officials and local councillors will be on hand to answer any questions or concerns anyone may have about the proposed parallel footpath before a final decision is taken by ELC councillors on whether to complete the partially done footpath or drop the plan with no alternative solution on offer. Can’t make it? You can still make your views known.
The plan boils down to building a wider footpath running parallel to the main road from the bridge, through church grounds and directly into the school, thus avoiding the main road pavement which is 75cm in places and too narrow for two people to pass without stepping onto the road, or to allow someone using a wheelchair or pushing many makes of baby buggy to safely get across the village on foot.
It was the footpath campaign, made up of concerned parents, dog-owners and other locals, that originally took issue with the ELC over the dangerously narrow footpath in 2008. This came to a head in February 2011 when ELC councillors and officals vetoed an earlier plan to extend the lights and widen the main road pavement.
Subsequent community talks were held at the direct request of ELC councillors. This led to the parallel footpath plan which was the end result of 18 months of discussion between members of the church, ELC transport and planning officials, ELC councillors, the Community Council and the Fatal Footpath Campaign.
The community now has a second opportunity to review the same parallel footpath plan later this month and express a view on whether they wish to see the parallel path proceed to completion or, effectively, drop it entirely. Currently this is the only footpath plan acceptable to ELC’s transport officials.
So what’s good and bad about the parallel footpath plan which is being re-presented to members of the community on the 30th?
PROs
CONs
We would encourage everyone with a view on these plans to make the time to go and see for themselves what’s being proposed and to consider what it will mean for the community as a whole. ELC officials are going to be on hand from 2pm through to 8pm to try to give everyone a chance to see, and have explained, what is being proposed.
However, if you are unable to come along on the day but want to express a view we would encourage you to leave a comment below, email us, and/or take part in our mini survey.
If you don’t see the survey question above you can click here
The No. 113 bus, run by a wholly owned subsidiary of Lothian Buses, is set to introduce a new timetable from the end of October.
It will still be an hourly service but leaving Pencaitland at 52 minutes past the hour rather than the current 40 minutes past. On the 113’s return route from the Western General Hospital it will depart at 27 minutes past the hour instead of 9 minutes past. All Sunday bus users will need to check because there are other detailed changes too.
The most significant change will be an extra early morning departure at 6am from Pencaitland from Monday to Friday.
The existing first service will be re-timed from 6.35am to 6.30am, with the 7am and 7.25am departures staying as they are, thus making a 30 min interval business service. The evening services back from Edinburgh are more or less unchanged but with the irregular gaps around 8.20pm evened out. However, there are important differences in the detail. In the early evening buses will continue to and from the Western General Hospital for an extra hour, after which buses will use the West End; most likely Charlotte Square rather than Hanover Street as the city Centre terminus.
For the bus enthusiasts out there, the Double Deckers are to be replaced by new Singles (photo) with additional seats on the Musselburgh to Edinburgh section provided by extra No. 44s to relieve the pressure on the Singles.
Our thanks to Barry Hutton for providing the information in this update.
East Lothian Council regularly calls for applications to each new round of its Civic Pride Fund. Applications are now being sought for new funding requests.
Projects need to demonstrate community support and involvement and deliver two or more of the following criteria:
Locally Pencaitland Parish Church was a recent beneficiary, receiving £2,100 towards repairs to the church’s buildings. The grant from the Council’s Civic Pride Fund was used to repair the bowed leaded windows and cracked window panes to help keep the Grade A listed church weather tight. As Minister David Torrance said at the time of the award, “Through the centuries, the Church has stood as a symbol of faith and hope, serving families, groups and individuals in the local community, so maintaining the building is very important. We are pleased that this has been recognised by the Civic Pride Fund”.
Other awards around East Lothian have gone towards park improvements, plantings, renovation of local monuments, Village Hall improvements, new public seating, public sculpture and floodlights to name a few.
To apply to the fund applicants need to be properly constituted community groups, local heritage groups and voluntary organisations. The £50,000 Civic Pride Fund’s closing date for this funding round is 30 November 2012 with grants of up to a maximum of £20,000 potentially being awarded. Any requests for £5,000 or more require matched funding from a source other than the ELC. A copy of the application form can be found here.
Applications should be sent to:
Landscape & Countryside Manager
East Lothian Council
John Muir House
Brewery Park
Haddington
EH41 4HA
Do you have a community group project or idea in Pencaitland, New Winton or Glenkinchie which would benefit from financial support from the Civic Pride Fund? If you would like to discuss this with a member of your Community Council you can email website@pencaitland.org with your contact details and we will get in touch to help you develop your idea.
It’s just a few days since the last alert was issued and we already have a new one covering Edinburgh and the Lothians. Avoid travel wherever possible.
Here’s the latest from SEPA on the new alert for the Lothians:
“Heavy and persistent rain during the first half of Wednesday has caused some rivers to rise in the region. Heavy showers during the afternoon and evening may cause some smaller watercourses to respond quickly and levels in larger rivers to rise further. Isolated instances of flooding are possible and flood warnings may be issued. Particularly at risk are rivers in the Edinburgh area. High river flows, in combination with high tide levels around 4.30 on Thursday morning, could cause disruption in Musselburgh and other areas where the tide can influence river levels. Intense showers could cause some surface water flooding impacts particularly if the heaviest rain falls in urban areas and on impermeable surfaces, such as the road and rail network. Ponding and standing water may occur in low lying areas. The risk of flooding is expected to extend into Thursday. Members of the public are advised to check the Traffic Scotland website before traveling. SEPA will monitor the situation closely and provide further information when available.
Remain vigilant and remember, it is your responsibility to take actions which help protect yourself and your property. Advice and information is available through Floodline on 0845 9881188. This FLOOD ALERT is now in force until further notice and was sent by phone and sms free of charge to registered customers of our Floodline direct warning service. If you haven’t already signed up to receive free flood messages, please call Floodline or register online at sepa.org.uk/floodingsignup.”
If you have to travel and spot a dangerous section of road please tweet details to @pencaitlandcc or to the Pencaitland Facebook page. This way the information will automatically be passed on to others.
Example Twitter message:
@pencaitlandcc Bend of A6093 coming into Wester #Pencaitland water over both lanes on final bend. #flood #eastlothian
You can use the same text whether sending to Twitter or posting to Facebook or Google+… whichever you prefer.
the # symbol is often placed in front of keywords on Twitter in order to help people discover relevant updates. If you have room, by adding #eastlothian and #flood to your message it is more likely to be found by those looking for information on areas under water around in the county. Try to be specific, using, for example, #ormiston or #pencaitland hash tags to help geographically pinpoint where the problem is.
After Blueflint played in Haddington’s new John Gray Centre, the second of three live acoustic gigs is set to take place on 26th October with Paul Gilbody.
Known as The Front Room, the events have been organised with Lamp House Music. The first evening was a sell-out and it is expected the second with Paul Gilbody will be just as popular.
Paul Gilbody is a Belfast-born, Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter who has worked with the likes of KT Tunstall, Tom Jones and Horse and is now concentrating on his own career. He has an abundance of skills including double bass, guitar, beatboxing and pedal-looping.
The Front Room provides an opportunity to catch this highly regarded, multi-talented musician perform his catchy, melodic and chilled-out tunes starting at 7pm on the 26th. The event takes place in the centre’s Star Room, made to resemble a cosy front room with clever use of cardboard artwork created by artists Vic Macrae and Neil Ogg.
Tickets are £8 from the John Gray Centre (01620 820680) or Lamp House Music (01620 825630) and on the door, subject to availability. The bar opens at 7pm, first band 7.30pm
The Front Room is a collaboration between East Lothian Council and Lamp House Music. Also involved are Jewel & Esk College, whose students will oversee the sound production at the event. ELJAM and the Haddington Music Initiative are supporting the gigs and selecting an East Lothian youth support act to perform a short set each evening.
Track: Ricochet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6DWqVOyCAc
Track: Tell me what I’m missin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn1Y49Cd4Mk
Want to hear more? You can listen to more tracks on Paul’s SoundCloud page.
Lamp House Music opened in April 2012. Based in an original Victorian railway building – ‘The Lamp House’ is set in Station Yard, Hospital Road, Haddington, offering rehearsal rooms for musicians and bands. These rooms have been soundproofed and acoustically engineered and are now light, clean and modern practice environments. Rooms are open seven days a week and are available to hire by the hour. They come fully equipped with new, top spec equipment. Lamp House Music lessons are fun, friendly and affordable, available in a variety of instruments for both children and adults. Fully experienced and qualified tutors are available for one-to-one tuition and class-style lessons, which include guitar, drums, vocals and keyboards. Lamp House Music have run two very successful children’s Summer Schools and will be holding an Autumn School during the October school holiday.
We have recent video of flooding in Pencaitland plus fresh reports that further floods may occur today. If you spot problems tell others. Here’s how…
If you plan to travel today and spot a flooded section of road please tweet details to @pencaitlandcc or to the Pencaitland Facebook page. This way the information will automatically be passed on to others.
Twitter example message:
@pencaitlandcc Bend of A6093 coming into Wester #Pencaitland flooded both lanes on final bend. #flood #eastlothian
You can use the same text whether sending to Twitter or posting to Facebook or Google+… whichever is your preferred social tool of choice.
the # symbol is often placed in front of keywords on Twitter in order to help people discover relevant updates. If you have room, by adding #eastlothian and #flood to your message it is more likely to be found by those looking for information on floods in the county. Try to be specific, using, for example, #ormiston or #pencaitland hash tags to help geographically pinpoint where the problem is.
Here’s the latest from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency:
“A FLOOD ALERT has been issued for Edinburgh and Lothians.
A period of heavy and persistent rain is forecast to affect the area on Thursday through until Friday. Flooding to low lying areas from rivers and small watercourses is possible. The intensity of the rain may also cause some surface water flooding, particularly in built up areas or on low lying roads. SEPA will continue to monitor the situation and further updates will be provided when new information becomes available.”
More heavy rain was predicted over night and we got it. So much so, that the notorious final bends into the western edge of the village of Pencaitland were already half flooded with run off from the neighbouring field. (Can’t see the video below? Go to Pencaitland Community on YouTube.)
We recently saw the Tyne burst its banks at Pencaitland and it’s done it again today. But the problems will be more acute for Haddington further downstream which already suffered flooding during the last heavy downpour. (Can’t see the video below? Go to Pencaitland Community on YouTube.)
Check out the latest events and activities across the county in the October to December issue of East Lothian’s Arts News.
East Lothian Council Museums are also hosting a range of events and activities throughout this month including ideas for families during the October break.
In this 20 page issue you can find out more about East Lothian’s celebrations for St Andrew’s Day; what’s on at the Lennoxlove Book Festival; how Scottish tenor Martin Aelred is making money for Mary’s Meals; and how the Arts Service has been supporting visual artists and craftmakers.
There is a particularly useful and quite extensive directory of local events, concerts, gigs and performances, plus details of arts and craft, creative writing, dance, drama, music and song classes, groups and clubs that are taking place.
You can pick up a hard copy from Brunton Theatre or various East Lothian Council buildings including libraries and community centres.
The ELC has approved a new Economic Development plan at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting in Haddington. But what does it mean for rural East Lothian?
The strategy has set five objectives for East Lothian over the next ten years.
Certainly, on the first point that will require some careful consideration of both effective public transport links and high speed internet across the county. What do you think of the five point plan? Let us know with a comment below…
Following a recent meeting in Trevelyan Hall with a team from South East Scotland Scouts, a number of parents are keen to reintroduce scouting to Pencaitland.
Taking Scott’s lead, locals Alison Mells and David Donohoe are spearheading a follow-up meeting in The Winton Arms on the 23rd of October at 8pm.
If you are keen to see cubs, beavers and scouts return to the village now is your chance to help make it happen. Please try and pop along on the 23rd and see how your help can bring back what was at one time a central part of village life.
If you can’t make it to the meeting but would like to be kept informed, please email scouts@pencaitland.org with your name and contact details.