Tag: East Lothian Council

New major partnership will boost community wealth in East Lothian

Queen Margaret University (QMU) is joining forces with East Lothian Council and other key organisations across the country to support the authority’s efforts to increase community wealth in the region.

The University has become one of the first signatories of the council’s East Lothian Community Wealth Building Charter. The Charter, a formal partnership between East Lothian Council, QMU and other key stakeholders across the region, is part of the Scottish Government’s Community Wealth Building (CWB) approach to harness the economic and social leverage of influential anchor institutions  across the country.

By working across multiple organisations, East Lothian Council aims to harness the collective power which exists in East Lothian to create more job opportunities, increase business growth, improve wellbeing and deliver substantial economic benefits.

QMU is already embedding the concept of CWB through a significant new partnership with Bright Red Triangle, the enterprise hub at Edinburgh Napier University, in a move which will improve and extend the level of entrepreneurial support available to university, college and wider communities.

The QMU Start Up Studio will accommodate both Bright Red Triangle and East Lothian Council’s Business Gateway services on its campus in Musselburgh, presenting a significant opportunity in raising the profile of East Lothian as a place which supports and accommodates start-ups businesses and spin-out companies.

The Council and Queen Margaret University believe that CWB principles can also positively shape and drive academic engagement with the Edinburgh Innovation Hub – a joint venture between East Lothian Council and QMU and funded by the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.

The new Hub, which is on track for completion in 2025, will be made up of flexible laboratory, office and fully equipped meeting and conference spaces for rent and will be a major asset to the local communities, as well as further afield.

The University has an important presence in the county through a combination of being a largescale employer, generator of entrepreneurial thinking and innovation, purchaser of goods and services, and controller of large areas of land and fixed assets in the locality.

Kim Stuart, Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange Development at QMU, said: “Queen Margaret University is totally committed to partnership working which delivers economic and societal benefits and the CWB approach aligns closely with many of QMU’s existing strategic objectives relating to social justice, wellbeing, sustainability, and more resilient local and regional economies.

“This new partnership presents a perfect opportunity for QMU to assist in enhancing the collective benefits which can be created within East Lothian. We hope that this relationship will help foster responsible entrepreneurship and develop solutions that have an impact on society, as a whole. We look forward to working with the Council and other organisations to create a strong and inclusive local economy.”

Councillor John McMillan, East Lothian Council’s Cabinet Spokesperson for Economic Development said: “We are delighted to be working with Queen Margaret University as a signatory of the East Lothian Community Wealth Building Charter.

“Their plans to embed it strategically within the university recognises the importance of this approach and offers a model for other organisations to follow to deliver maximum impact.

“Community Wealth Building aims to redirect wealth back into the local economy to benefit local people. As an authority we’re embracing the opportunities this offers to deliver a fairer and more prosperous East Lothian in line with our key council priorities.

“Our Charter brings together organisations who are committed to this approach and who will work together to create a strong and resilient local economy which benefits everyone.”

Councillor John McMillan concluded: “Community Wealth Building is a cornerstone of the East Lothian Local Economy Strategy.

“Its adoption by Queen Margaret University builds upon our strong partnership and, in particular, the links that exist with our Economic Development service to support entrepreneurial activity, business start-ups and growth.”

East Lothian launches call-out for artists to help create Covid memorial

East Lothian Council, in partnership with greenspace scotland, has launched a call-out to commission an artist or artists to contribute to the region’s Covid community memorial, part of the Scotland-wide Remembering Together project.

Remembering Together East Lothian is managed by the Council Arts Service, and is being developed by artists Barbara Gardner-Rowell and Sophie Ferguson. In the project’s first phase they explored with local communities how best to reflect the region’s experiences during the pandemic, in order to create a lasting opportunity for the community to connect and reflect.

The result is a series of six accessible walking trails which have been mapped across the region, in Dunbar, Haddington, Musselburgh, North Berwick, Tranent, and Preston Seton Gosford.

The walks will encourage communities to come together and connect socially with the healing qualities of nature, reflecting the daily walking practice that many people adopted during lockdown. Each starts and finishes on local transport routes, offering an inclusive community resource that is easily accessible, that can be integrated into various facets of everyday life.

For the latest phase of the project East Lothian Council is seeking to commission an artist or artists to create a focal point of reflection for each of the six walking trails.

The commissions will be selected for their relevance and sensitivity to the project themes of Reflection, Remembering, Hope and Healing, and could be physical pieces situated on the walking route, or a soundscape, mural, piece of music or film, or digital artwork accessed via QR code.

The artist or artists selected for the commissions will be encouraged during the research phase to visit the walking trails and the archive to develop their final proposal. Funding of up to £60,000 is available to realise the artworks.

Submissions are required by 12 April 2024. Further details and information on how to apply can be found at rememberingtogethereastlothian.com

Green light for Lidl, B&M and Starbucks at DunBear Park, Dunbar

A hattrick of national chains are set to open at DunBear Park, Dunbar.

The green light for a Lidl and B&M retail stores, and a Starbucks coffee shop, follows the approval of planning applications, subject to conditions, at the planning committee of East Lothian Council yesterday (1st November 2022).

The Starbucks coffee shop will boast an outdoor seating area and drive thru facilities.

These developments overall are set to deliver a multi-million pound investment in the townand create around 100 new jobs for Dunbar.

The proposed 54.3-acre low carbon community of DunBear Park, being undertaken by Hallhill Developments Ltd, has at its centrepiece The DunBear sculpture. This five-metre-high steel sculpture of a brown bear pays tribute to John Muir, the Dunbar-born naturalist who played a key role in the establishment of National Parks in the USA. 

The exciting mixed-use development, neighbouring the A1, aims to include office, industrial, retail and community uses, adopting the latest low carbon technology. 

One of the key outcomes of the community consultation event held for the development was a clear desire by the community for a far greater retail offering in Dunbar, serving to address increased demand and providing greater competition.

It was noted that there are discount retailers in all the major towns in East Lothian, except Dunbar. Unsustainable travel is therefore occurring, with residents of the town and surrounding area shopping elsewhere, with the clear environmental impacts this has.

By preventing expenditure leakage from the town and the surrounding area to other parts of East Lothian and Edinburgh it will also keep money in the community.

The green light for the proposals follows approval of roads, footpaths and essential infrastructure planning applications last year.

The hattrick of planning approvals achieved will serve to unlock the site, financially pump priming infrastructure to deliver further employment uses.

This new infrastructure has to be installed at significant costs and this early phase of development on the DunBear site makes it more likely that future employment-generating development will occur.

Ken Ross from Hallhill Developments Ltd commented: “It was fantastic to see the committee approve these planning applications. At a time when many retailers are scaling back due to the fallout from the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, it is great to be able to deliver these national outlets for the community of Dunbar.

“These will serve to address the increased demand and provide greater competition, key themes that came from the community consultation exercise we undertook.

“Developments such as this complement Dunbar town centre, and through preventing retail leakage to elsewhere in East Lothian and Edinburgh will keep more money in the town.

“The multi-million pound investment will deliver around 100 much-needed new jobs for the local community, which is a clear vote of confidence in this location, and will also serve to deliver the necessary infrastructure to allow us to bring forward further investment into Dunbar.”

Two major retailers and £30m investment for DunBear Park

Two major retailers have been announced for DunBear Pak, Dunbar today (14th October).

Detailed planning applications have been submitted to East Lothian Council for Lidl (1996 sq. m.) and B&M (2218 sq. m.) stores, as well as essential road infrastructure. These are set to create up to 80 jobs for Dunbar should planning consent be given.  With site infrastructure this is set to deliver £30 million of investment in the development (images attached).

The joint application by Hallhill Developments Limited, Lidl and B&M follows planning applications for roads, footpaths and essential infrastructure submitted last year, together with renewable energy proposals for the site.

The 54.3-acre development is designed around The DunBear, the five-metre high steel sculpture of a brown bear which pays tribute to Dunbar-born naturalist, John Muir, credited with playing a key role in the establishment of National Parks in the USA. DunBear Park is part of the Hallhill development.

The exciting mixed-use development, which aims to include office, industrial, retail, leisure, extra care facilities, community and residential uses, will adopt the latest low carbon technology.

One of the key outcomes of the community consultation event for the DunBear Park development was a clear desire by the community for a far greater retail offering in Dunbar, serving to address increased demand and providing greater competition.

There are discount retailers in all the major towns in East Lothian, except Dunbar and unsustainable travel is therefore occurring, with residents of the town going to other towns.

By preventing expenditure leakage outwith the town to other parts of East Lothian and Edinburgh, it will also keep money in the community. Hallhill Developments have committed to work with local community groups, including the Dunbar Traders Association, to deliver onsite signage, pushing people to visit the town centre.

Development onsite also serves to financially pump prime infrastructure to deliver further employment uses on the site. New infrastructure has to be installed at significant costs and this early phase of development on the DunBear site makes it more likely that future employment-generating development will occur. 

The proposed road layout for the development provides a through route east to west across the site.  Safe and direct pedestrian and cycle routes are included within the scheme and will continue to be refined. 

DunBear Park aims to be a highly sustainable development, adopting the latest low carbon technology to generate renewable heat and power on site. This approach will ensure minimal impact on the environment and assist in tackling climate change, as well as supporting the green recovery from Covid-19.

Heating is planned to be delivered onsite via a highly innovative district heating network, including the use of modern, low carbon electric heat pumps. The pumps will be powered by their own green electricity supply fed from a series of photovoltaic and battery arrays, which will also deliver green energy to the whole site.

Ken Ross from Hallhill Developments Limited commented: “At a time when retailers are scaling back due to the pandemic, it is great to be able to announce that these operators will be coming to DunBear Park. This will address the increased demand and provide greater competition, key themes that came from the community consultation exercise we undertook.

“This £30 million investment will deliver up to 80 much-needed new jobs for the local community, which is a clear vote of confidence in this location and will also serve to deliver the necessary infrastructure to allow us to bring forward further investment into Dunbar.”

Philip Mellor from the Dunbar Traders’ Association commented: “Developments such as this complement Dunbar town centre, and through preventing retail leakage to elsewhere in East Lothian and Edinburgh will keep more money in the town.

“In order to maximise the potential of these exciting developments we will be working with the developer to establish ways to promote and use appropriate signage. This will attract people who are visiting these outlets and/or the fantastic DunBear sculpture to the town centre.

“This is a win-win situation for Dunbar.”