East Lothian Consultation Hub

Welcome to the East Lothian Consultation Hub. This site will help you find and participate in consultations that interest you. Recently added consultations are displayed below. Alternatively, search for consultations by keyword, postcode, interest etc.

Open Consultations

  • Public Bus Consultation

    East Lothian Supported Buses consultation East Lothian subsidises some bus services on routes where commercial bus operators would not be able to cover their costs. We do this where no alternative route exists and may pay a commercial operator to cover a whole route, or part of...

    Closes 20 October 2024

  • Early Learning and Childcare: January 2025

    For parents or carers who have received an offer of a nursery place for January 2025. Please respond to confirm acceptance or refusal of the place. The closing date for responses is Wednesday 23 October 2024 .

    Closes 23 October 2024

  • Article 12 in Fa'side - Children and Young People's Voice

    Short questionnaire to find out more about how we support the UNCRC Article 12 in Fa’side. How do we listen to children and young people’s views and how do we help them to share these views, ideas, wants and needs to with decisionmakers.

    Closes 8 November 2024

  • Tranent Greenspace Play Area

    What would you like to see developed at the Greenspace Play Area, Lindores Drive, Tranent (the park / greenspace area behind the George Johnstone Centre) ? East Lothian Council has allocated Scottish Government Play Parks Renewal funding to develop play provision in the...

    Closes 17 November 2024

  • Lessons Learned Survey

    The purpose of this survey is to reach out to the internal customers and stakeholders of the Procurement Team, to actively seek feedback which will enable the Procurement Team to identify areas and opportunities for improving our future procurements. Please contribute to our lessons learned...

    Closes 9 February 2025

Closed Consultations

  • The Brunton audience survey

    The Brunton programmes arts and entertainment events and activities across East Lothian. To inform future programming, the Trust would like to ask what kind of events people would like to attend and where. They would like to hear from current bookers and those yet to attend an event.

    Closed 13 October 2024

  • Belhaven Masterplan Survey 2024

    East Lothian Council are working to make it easier to walk and cycle around the Belhaven area in a safer and more inclusive way. This survey will ask your opinion on design options for seven locations across the Belhaven area to determine the priorities of the local community.

    Closed 6 October 2024

  • Holiday Attendance October 2024

    Please complete this form to let us know if your child will NOT be attending nursery, during part or all of the October break by Friday 4 October 2024. You should consider this carefully as you may not be able to change sessions after this date. You do not need to complete this if your...

    Closed 4 October 2024

  • Families Together East Lothian - Referrers Survey

    Families Together East Lothian wants to hear your opinions on our referral process.

    Closed 30 September 2024

  • East Lothian Council STAFF website survey 2024

    We are working on a project to update and replace the current public facing website. We’d like your thoughts as either a member of staff or as a councillor on what we need from our website and how you think we can improve it in future.

    Closed 30 September 2024

We Asked, You Said, We Did

Here are some of the issues we have consulted on and their outcomes. See all outcomes

We asked

The budget the Council needed to set for 2024/25 was one of the biggest challenges East Lothian Council has ever faced.  This is because of the rising cost pressures and increasing demand on our services which is not being matched by increases in national funding.

Forecasts suggested that the Council could face a gap of over £27 million between its projected funding and what it spends on providing local services in the next financial year, 2024/25.

The Council carried out the budget consultation to get peoples’ views on the Council’s priorities, the commitments set out in its Financial Strategy to reduce the cost of services, potential savings and the level of Council tax increase.

You said

A full copy of the results of the survey is available at: 1124_Bdgt_Consltn___Analysis (1).pdf

472 people responded to the online survey (c. 0.5% of population over 16).

Of those who responded:

  • 88.5% said that the Growing our People objective is Very Important and 9% said it is Somewhat Important
  • 66% said Growing our Capacity is Very Important and 28% said it is Somewhat Important
  • 60.5% said Growing our Communities is Very Important and 31.5% said it is Somewhat Important
  • 41% said Growing our Economy is Very Important and 47% said it is Somewhat Important

The most favoured options for reducing spending were Early Intervention & Prevention and Asset Rationalisation, and the least favoured option was Service Reduction.

The five options for which there was least support for service reduction as opposed to increasing Council Tax to protect the service were:

  • Investing in services for vulnerable children
  • Maintaining existing staffing levels within schools
  • Tackling anti-social behaviour and working to improve community safety
  • Supporting older people, e.g. care at home and care homes
  • Investing in the road network and street lighting

The five options for which there was most support to reduce the service were:

  • Providing discounts for empty business premises
  • Supporting tourism and the visitor economy
  • Investing in staff training and development
  • Supporting cultural activities like the arts and museums
  • Maintaining home to school transport

Respondents were asked to provide views on different levels of Councill Tax increase to protect council services. Almost as many respondents said they would support an increase of over £5 a week (20%) as said they did not support any increase in Council Tax (23%); 72% would support an increase of up to £3 per week; and 40% would support an increase of up to £5 a week.

We did

A full set of the results of the survey was reported to elected members before they deliberated on the 2024/25 Budget - 1124_Bdgt_Consltn___Analysis (1).pdf.

The budget was approved at a meeting of the Council on 20th February where Councillors agreed to accept Scottish Government funding to freeze the Council tax for a year.  The projection is that Council Tax will increase by 10% in the following year (2025/26) and by 5% in the following year.

In setting the budget the Council has tried to protect the Children’s Services and Education Services budgets as well as the budget supporting older people.  However, in order to do this, and balance the budget taking into account increases in Council Tax from new homes, the level of support grant from the Scottish Government and use of reserves and financial management measures, the Council had to make a total of just over £8m in efficiencies and budget savings. Almost £4m of these efficiencies and savings were put forward in the budget approved in February 2023; including, three weekly residual bin collections, a new charge for Garden Waste collection, and £1m from a review of council assets.

A further £4.5m efficiencies and savings were also approved including:

  • 100% Council Tax premium for 2nd homes (£900,000)
  • Charges from empty Non Domestic Rates Relief (£430,000)
  • Restructuring of management (£435,000)
  • Reduction in revenue budget for roads (£330,000)
  • Use of Under 22yr old bus pass for home to school transport, instead of council provided buses (£220,000)
  • Reduction in funding for Brunton Theatre Trust (£200,000) and Enjoy Leisure (£100,000)
  • Reduction in Library Service (£180,000)

We asked

We asked tenants, tenants and residents groups and ELTRP for their view on our proposals to increase rents.

The Council know that decisions they make about tenant's rent and how we spend the money we collect is extremely important during these challenging financial times.  Striking a balance between keeping rents affordable and being able to maintain services for our tenants is important for the Council and more vital than ever before.

With this in mind the Council consulted on three options for a rent increase, 5%, 6% or 7%.  Explaining the effect each of these options would have on our housing service.

You said

Of those who responded:

89% were happy with the level of consultation and information they get about the annual rent increase.

82% said they thought the rent they pay is good value for money.

86% opted for a 5% increase

11% for a 6% increase

3% for a 7% increase.

We did

All the feedback received was added to a report to inform the Elected Members of the outcome of the consultation.   Taking all of this into account, the rent level for 2024/25 was agreed at a meeting of the Council on 20th February where Councillors agreed to a 7% rent increase from 1st April 2024.   This is the only feasible option if we want to continue to improve our existing stock and meet our statutory requirements.

We will write out to all our tenants informing them of the outcome and the planned increase to their rent charge for 2024/25.

We asked

We asked tenants, tenants and residents groups and ELTRP for their views on our proposals to increase rents. 

The council is aware that for many tenants this year is possibly even more difficult with high inflation and a cost of living that is placing huge stresses on household finances notably around energy costs and the price of food. We explained that without a rent increase in April 2023, it will be impossible for the Council to continue to deliver the current level of service including its ambitious capital programme.

With these factors in mind we set out a range of options 0%, 3% and 5% and explained the effect that each of these options would have on our housing service.

 

You said

Of those who responded to our consultation:

  • 92% were happy with the level of consultation and information they received about the annual rent increase
  • 85% thought that the rent they pay is good value for money

 

We did

All the feedback received was added to a report to inform the Elected members of the outcome of the consultation. The report will be heard at the Council’s Special Budget Meeting in February 2023.  At that meeting, a decision will be taken regarding the rent increase.  We will write out to all tenants after this meeting to inform them of the outcome and any planned incrrease to their rent charge for 2023/2024.