Tag: pencaitland

Categories
News

Pencaitland Community Council proposes road safety measures to ELC

Last year ELC’s Transport team provided the community with drawings suggesting a number of road safety changes. Your Community Council wants to hear your views before a response is sent.

An alternative roundabout layout at the eastern entrance to Pencaitland would avoid relocating the war memorial. For details of other provisional recommendations click here.
An alternative roundabout layout at the eastern entrance to Pencaitland would avoid relocating the war memorial. For details of other provisional recommendations click here.
In July last year, after a request from Pencaitland’s Community Council for joined up thinking on how to improve overall road safety across the village, ELC’s transport team responded with drawings outlining a number of ideas. You can see those original plans and what was proposed by clicking here.

In response to these suggestions the Community Council set up a Roads Working Group (RWG) to review the thoughts and comments of local people which have come via this website, social media and through word of mouth.

The Roads Working Group now has a provisional response to the ELC’s initial plans which it is ready to share with you (see map below), before a final set of recommendations is sent to ELC Transport for consideration.

These include:

  • A roundabout at the eastern entrance to Pencaitland to replace the current crossroads. The RWG agrees that this is a good idea but could be achieved without moving the War Memorial to a different location, as originally suggested in ELC’s plans.
  • Road narrowing on the A6093 inside Pencaitland. The RWG believes this is unwise in light of the need for parking which already acts to slow traffic. Instead it is seeking the introduction of a painted cycle lane would achieve the same ends and benefit all concerned, at much less cost and disruption.
  • Further restrictions on speeds should be considered in areas where there are large numbers of kids/pedestrians, in some cases (such as the B6363 through Boggs Holdings) with no pavements for a measure of protection from road vehicles.

Please share this information with your neighbours, especially those who are not comfortable using the web, and encourage everyone who has an interest in road issues around Pencaitland to send us feedback. Tell us your views via email to website@pencaitland.org, by replying below in the comments or simply leaving your views in a dedicated comments box that will shortly be found in the local Pencaitland Post Office.

What is the Roads Working Group proposing to ELC?

The issues surrounding traffic and pedestrian safety can be best summarised visually with the map below. Click the blue lines on roads or the markers to see details of what the RWG is planning to send to ELC. Whether you agree or disagree we want to know. Equally, if there are issues that you believe have not been picked up by the RWG please inform us.

If you find it too difficult viewing the map below, you can view a larger version by clicking this link: Pencaitland road traffic calming measures.


View Pencaitland road traffic calming measures in a larger map

A printed copy of the map and a list of the proposed responses to ELC Transport’s original suggestions will also be available for review at the Pencaitland Post Office.


Categories
News Photos

Courier reports accident at the Boggs

image

The Courier report doesn’t shed much light on how the accident happened, but does say that police are appealing for witnesses.

Categories
News

Easywheels now ‘most definitely up and running’

According to Easywheels, the new car club based out of Haddington, the service is now ready for business. You can find out more this weekend.

Would you like to see a car club vehicle available for use based in Pencaitland?
Would you like to see a car club vehicle based in Pencaitland?
Easywheels will be in Haddington Library this Friday (10th May between 10am-12pm & 2pm-4pm) fully set up to show the workings of the online joining and booking system. Anyone can pop in and chat to the car club about joining.

Currently Easywheels has two cars for use by members. Both cars also contain child booster seats, first aid kits and road atlases. Plans are also in place to add a tow bar to the Meriva.

Pencaitland Car Club?

It may be possible to extend on the work already completed in launching Easywheels in Haddington by adding a car to the network based out of Pencaitland. This could be hugely beneficial, allowing those without a second car, or no car at all, access to personal transport only when needed.

However, in order to make this possibility a reality we need to know there’s a level of local support for such an idea. If you would like to see a car available in Pencaitland then please complete this short survey.

You can also read the original article on this idea here.


Categories
News

Courier covers Sunday Litter Pick

The Courier featured a picture and short story in this week's paper on last Sunday's Litter Pick, which enjoyed the biggest turn-out to date.
The Courier featured a picture and short story in this week’s paper on last Sunday’s Litter Pick, which enjoyed the biggest turn-out to date. Click above for full story.


Categories
News

Marie Curie lunch in memory of Daz Hack raises much needed funds

A lunch was held on Saturday 13th April in the Carriage House in memory of Darren Hack to help raise funds for Marie Curie.

The team who helped make the Marie Curie fundraising lunch such a success, raising £1,310. Click the photo for a larger image.
The team who helped make the Marie Curie fundraising lunch such a success, raising £1,310. Click the photo for a larger image.
The lunch was a huge success and the amazing amount of £1,310 was raised to help support the invaluable work of Marie Curie. Margaret and Avril were delighted with all the support they received which enabled their lunch to be such a success. They would like to thank all their wonderful helpers who gave up their time, rolled up their sleeves and worked very hard. They could not have managed without them.

They would also like to thank everyone for their kind donations which helped raise so much money. They hope that everyone who came along on the day enjoyed their lunch and cakes and wish to thank them very much for their support.

The team of helpers were- Doris Jaworska and her son Paul, Jane Rae, Elma Forrest, Alwynne Cowan, Susan Brunton and her daughters Fraya and Kirstin, Fran Dougherty, Emma Hack and her daughter Aimee, Gary Cairns, Catherine Beveridge, Sharon Large, Pat and Charlie Slight (all the way from Canada).

Donations were given from:

  • Mari Ewart from the Village shop (rolls)
  • Kaz Anderson (crafts)
  • Emma Hack and Gilly Sprott (hair clips and brooches)
  • Marion Sinclair (doll for the raffle)
  • Erin Dougherty (chocolate house)
  • The Local Community Shop in Ormiston (fruit basket)
  • Mrs Spence and her friends from Inverness (knitting)
  • Plus the army of fantastic cake makers


Categories
News

Great turnout at Pencaitland’s Litter Pick doubles volume of junk

It was touch & go but in the end the Sun shone down on Pencaitland’s army of litter pickers who scoured the streets & pathways for a record rubbish haul.

Just some of the kids who helped make the 2013 Litter Pick a success with the pile of litter collected continuing to swell throughout a fine sunny afternoon. Click the photo for more pictures.
Just some of the kids who helped make the 2013 Litter Pick a success with the pile of litter collected continuing to swell throughout a fine sunny afternoon. Click the photo for more pictures.
With the recent hard to predict weather we have been encountering it was anyone’s guess as to how many would choose to venture out to spend a few hours helping clean up their community. In the end any doubts were quickly dispelled when around 60 kids turned up, either with family or with one of a number of community groups, including Cubs, Beavers, Rainbows, Pencaitland Youth Football Club and Guides. Then there was a strong cohort of parents and other adults along to help out making it a community-wide affair, covering all ages and backgrounds.

The Community Council would like to say a huge thank you to all those who took part in today’s event. In addition to the usual well-trodden routes, with such a good turnout we were able to cover far more ground which resulted in a significant increase in the amount finally collected. It’s estimated that the volume of litter bagged is around double the amount retrieved at last year’s event.

Many thanks also to Pencaitland Primary for putting together some fantastic posters publicising the event.

Amongst the flotsam found:

  • Two Wooly hats
  • Three single gloves
  • Three wellies
  • Four car hubs
  • Many many plastic and glass bottles and aluminium cans.
  • A pair of jeans
  • Underpants
  • A hoodie
  • A truck mud guard

You can see photos from today’s event below. Anyone wishing to have an original copy should email website@pencaitland.org

Categories
Events News

Pencaitland Litter Pick 2013 Countdown: Day 2 — What cost litter?

Did you know that local authorities spend £100 million every year cleaning up after us? Every bit of litter not put in a bin is a cost to everyone.

Just turn up at 2pm to Trevelyan Hall, get your raffle ticket, bag & a picker & you're ready to roll... Click the photo above for full details.
Just turn up at 2pm to Trevelyan Hall, get your raffle ticket, bag & a picker & you’re ready to roll… Click the photo above for full details.
You might not think it when you see it but there are financial consequences to litter. Tourism is worth over £4bn a year to Scotland with over 90% of tourists citing scenery as the main reason for their visit – every tourist who won’t come back because of litter and mess basically costs us all money. We get our own share of tourists in this part of the world taking part in the whisky trail to Glenkinchie.

Householders and land owners spend huge sums clearing mess from their own properties. And local authorities spend £100m of your money on street cleansing every year.

But small actions can make a big difference, and save us millions. Concern about this goes right to the top of Government. Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment and Rural Affairs, says, “action must be taken now against Scotland’s litter problem. It is a poor advertisement for our country, which should instead be recognised for its clean air and unspoilt landscapes.” Together we can make a difference.

Come to your Litter Pick

As with past years the Litter Pick action kicks off from 2pm in Pencaitland’s Trevelyan Hall. Groups or families turning up will be given litter pickers and bags before heading off to various parts of, not only Pencaitland, but hopefully some of the other areas covered by the Community Council.

Why a Litter Pick?

Scotland has a litter problem. Take a look the next time you walk outside and you’ll be hard pushed to miss it. Cigarette butts, takeaway wrappers, crisp bags, cans and cartons, newspapers, ATM slips, chewing gum. You name it, and it’s on our streets and motorways, in our parks and our lochs, up our mountains, on our beaches and on your doorstep!

Our local Council does a pretty good job keeping on top of the bulk of our rubbish but the fact is that if we want to live in an attractive village it’s down to all of us to keep it that way. We can’t always rely on someone else to come along and clean up the mess for us. If each of us picks up just one item of rubbish blowing around our streets each day, it will help keep on top of a perennial problem.


Categories
Events News

Pencaitland Litter Pick 2013 Countdown: Day 3 — Dog Fouling

We are fortunate in Pencaitland in generally having responsible pet owners who clear up after their dogs.

Clean Up Scotland & the Dogs Trust work together to promote Poop Scoop Week later this year.
Clean Up Scotland & the Dogs Trust work together to promote Poop Scoop Week later this year.
However, sometimes doggy deposits do make it onto our local pavements and paths. Owners can get free poop scoop bags from the local Post Office and then pop it into one of the public bins.

It’s a dog’s life

There are between 6.5 and 7.4 million dogs in the UK, producing a hard-to-believe 1,000 tonnes of poo per day. It has been estimated that, in a ten year life span, the average dog produces a half tonne of waste!

In recent research into public attitudes to littering carried out by Keep Scotland Beautiful, 69 percent of people rated dog fouling as the item on our streets, parks and beaches that bothered them most, with 13 percent of the people blaming dog owners for the problem.

The Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 came into force in 2003 which empowers police officers and authorised local authority officers to issue fixed penalty notices. A Fixed Penalty Fine for not picking up after a dog starts at £40, rising to £60. If the fine is not paid, owners can be convicted and end up paying up to £500. Probably not worth it for the cost of a free poop scoop bag from the Post Office!

The Dogs Trust and Keep Scotland Beautiful jointly promote National Poop Scoop Week throughout Scotland each summer.

As ever, East Lothian Council has its own small team of Dog Wardens with plenty of information to be found here.

Come to your Litter Pick

As with past years the Litter Pick action kicks off from 2pm in Pencaitland’s Trevelyan Hall. Groups or families turning up will be given litter pickers and bags before heading off to various parts of, not only Pencaitland, but hopefully some of the other areas covered by the Community Council.

Why a Litter Pick?

Scotland has a litter problem. Take a look the next time you walk outside and you’ll be hard pushed to miss it. Cigarette butts, takeaway wrappers, crisp bags, cans and cartons, newspapers, ATM slips, chewing gum. You name it, and it’s on our streets and motorways, in our parks and our lochs, up our mountains, on our beaches and on your doorstep!

Our local Council does a pretty good job keeping on top of the bulk of our rubbish but the fact is that if we want to live in an attractive village it’s down to all of us to keep it that way. We can’t always rely on someone else to come along and clean up the mess for us. If each of us picks up just one item of rubbish blowing around our streets each day, it will help keep on top of a perennial problem.


Categories
News

Pencaitland Litter Pick 2013 Countdown: Day 4 — Fly Tipping

In the run up to Sunday we’re counting down to Pencaitland’s Annual Litter Pick with trash related factoids. Please come & be a part of the pick!

The stuff that nearly made it. Does it ever strike you as odd that so much rubbish seems to congregate around litter bins.. but not in them? Here's our very own example in Pencaitland!
The stuff that nearly made it. Does it ever strike you as odd that so much rubbish seems to congregate around litter bins.. but not in them? Here’s our very own example in Pencaitland!
Did you know that it’s not just litter, dog fouling, graffiti, flytipping and flyposting, abandoned vehicles and other examples that people inflict upon our country. More than 62,000 incidences of flytipping – that’s dumping things like washing machines and sofas on our landscapes – were reported to local authorities last year. And it is estimated that around 5,000 cars are abandoned every year.

So far we’ve not found a car but there have been instances of fly-tipping on parts of the Pencaitland railway walk in the recent past. You can report fly tipping directly to East Lothian Council.

Come to your Litter Pick

As with past years the Litter Pick action kicks off from 2pm in Pencaitland’s Trevelyan Hall. Groups or families turning up will be given litter pickers and bags before heading off to various parts of, not only Pencaitland, but hopefully some of the other areas covered by the Community Council.

Why a Litter Pick?

Scotland has a litter problem. Take a look the next time you walk outside and you’ll be hard pushed to miss it. Cigarette butts, takeaway wrappers, crisp bags, cans and cartons, newspapers, ATM slips, chewing gum. You name it, and it’s on our streets and motorways, in our parks and our lochs, up our mountains, on our beaches and on your doorstep!

Our local Council does a pretty good job keeping on top of the bulk of our rubbish but the fact is that if we want to live in an attractive village it’s down to all of us to keep it that way. We can’t always rely on someone else to come along and clean up the mess for us. If each of us picks up just one item of rubbish blowing around our streets each day, it will help keep on top of a perennial problem.


Categories
Events News

Pencaitland Litter Pick 2013 Countdown: Day 5

Each day until Sunday we’re counting down to Pencaitland’s Annual Litter Pick with an interesting trash factoid. Please come & be a part of the pick!

A stray drinks can on a riverside footpath to Winton House. Click to get details on Sunday's Litter Pick.
A stray drinks can on a riverside footpath to Winton House. Click to get details on Sunday’s Litter Pick.
A national recording programme found litter in 80% of the sites it visited. Worse still, it found cigarette butts on 70% of the streets it visited. Did you know that each one takes 12 long years to decompose?

Come to your Litter Pick

As with past years the Litter Pick action kicks off from 2pm in Pencaitland’s Trevelyan Hall. Groups or families turning up will be given litter pickers and bags before heading off to various parts of, not only Pencaitland, but hopefully some of the other areas covered by the Community Council.

Why a Litter Pick?

Scotland has a litter problem. Take a look the next time you walk outside and you’ll be hard pushed to miss it. Cigarette butts, takeaway wrappers, crisp bags, cans and cartons, newspapers, ATM slips, chewing gum. You name it, and it’s on our streets and motorways, in our parks and our lochs, up our mountains, on our beaches and on your doorstep!

Our local Council does a pretty good job keeping on top of the bulk of our rubbish but the fact is that if we want to live in an attractive village it’s down to all of us to keep it that way. We can’t always rely on someone else to come along and clean up the mess for us. If each of us picks up just one item of rubbish blowing around our streets each day, it will help keep on top of a perennial problem.