The latest intake of kids to the Beaver Scouts took place on Thursday the 5th December in Pencaitland’s Trevelyan Hall.
If you don’t see all 18 photos below you can view them here.
Tag: Trevelyan Hall
The public meeting to allow bus users of rural East Lothian to voice their concerns to Council leaders filled Trevelyan Hall to capacity, with many standing at the entrance to listen in.
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In attendance were Council leader Paul McLennan (SNP), Councillor Donald Grant (Labour) and both the MSP Iain Gray and MP Fiona O’Donnell. There were also a number of other sitting and prospective councillors hoping to be elected and re-elected in a few days time.
Whilst there was some inevitable party political banter Ormiston community council leader Jim Blane kept a lid on proceedings, focussing on permitting members of the public to air their concerns.
Some of the key points to emerge were:
- Lothian buses is to take over the moment First withdraws its services to Ormiston & Pencaitland
- Fares will follow the model already applied by Lothian across the whole of its existing network. This should mean they are below First’s fares.
- Paul McLennan indicated a willingness to see more active involvement from actual bus users, Rural East Lothian Bus Users (RELBUS) and Community Councils on ELC’s decision-making on buses.
Less clear was the fate of other uncommercial services such as the Gifford Circle (now the 123) and services for Elphinstone, Glenkinchie and New Winton. In the latter case Councillor Jim Gillies claimed he had received concerns from 23 residents when their bus service stopped around a year ago, and still have no means of getting to other parts of the county.
Many expressed relief that a rural transport crisis has been avoided and welcomed the news that Lothian will take up when First withdraws. However, just as many expressed doubts about whether wider issues surrounding non-commercial connections to and between rural parts of East Lothian, would be pursued or dropped once a new Council is elected.
Q. Would you like to join in and be consulted on ELC decisions affecting rural bus service provision?
If yes, then send your email and contact details to website@pencaitland.org.
Pencaitland Community Council
Both the East Lothian Courier and East Lothian News gave space over in this week’s papers to reporting on the up-coming public meeting being held in Trevelyan Hall next Tuesday.
Check out our original story on the public meeting here.
If you would like to attend but can’t make it, do leave a comment here and we will pass these on to the administration at East Lothian Council as well as our local MP and MSP.
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Pencaitland Community Council
Ormiston and Pencaitland Community Councils are joining forces to hold a public meeting on Tuesday the 1st of May in Pencaitland’s Trevelyan Hall, two days before Council elections, inviting sitting and prospective councillors to come and listen to local residents of rural East Lothian.
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The joint meeting will take place on 1st May at 7.30pm in Trevelyan Hall, Pencaitland.
The Community Councils are inviting both sitting and prospective candidates of the Council elections to attend and hear the effects first hand from members of the affected communities.
As Jim Blane, Chair of Ormiston Community Council explains, “We believe that it’s absolutely vital that all our political representatives have a clear understanding of what the removal of bus services would mean to real people of rural East Lothian. We’ve heard lots of welcome noises about what various politicians will do about this situation but our rural communities need to be assured that this is top of the priority list and that there is no-one left stranded without transport and unable to live their normal life when the First Bus service ceases.”
Pencaitland Chair Ralph Averbuch added, “Right now we’re all getting flyers through our doors telling us what each political party might do and criticising the failings of their opponents. What we need to see is joined up thinking where all political factions set aside their narrow party agendas and work together to ensure we have both a short-term solution when First services cease, and a long-term strategy which won’t begin to unravel in the space of one council term. We need imaginative but pragmatic thinking that delivers a lasting and viable bus service to rural East Lothian.”
As well as inviting members of their own communities Pencaitland and Ormiston Community Councils are also encouraging residents of other parts of rural East Lothian who will be affected by the bus service’s removal to attend the event.
Pencaitland Community Council