LIFE expectancy in East Lothian can vary by more than 12 years depending on where you live.

A new report has revealed that men living in Longniddry and Aberlady have the highest life expectancy of 82.8 years, while men in ‘Prestonpans North’ can only expect to live, on average, for 74.6 years.

Women in the county live longest in Musselburgh North where life expectancy is 89.8 years, while in Dunbar West it is just 77.5 years.

The figures are included in East Lothian’s draft Equality Plan 2017-2021, which sets out the commitment of East Lothian Council, its licensing board and education authority to equal opportunities.

The plan, which was presented to councillors at a meeting in Haddington Town House on Tuesday, said: “This highlights that although we are living longer, healthier lives, some groups in the community are not benefiting equally from improvements in health.”

The average life expectancy for men in Scotland is 77.1 years and 81.1 years for women.

Professor Alison McCallum, director of public health and health policy, NHS Lothian, said: “The difference in life expectancy between areas is an example of the need for further action to address the underlying determinants of health and wellbeing which include income, education and a safe, supportive and healthy place to live.

"NHS Lothian recognises health inequalities as a priority and we continue to advocate for resources to address them and to work with others to help narrow the gap."

The report was presented alongside a new residents’ survey which was carried out for East Lothian Partnership and revealed that 99 per cent of people living in the county believe it is a good place to live.

Face-to-face interviews were carried out with 1,565 residents by an independent research firm who concluded that the general results were positive.

Most people – 88 per cent – felt strongly they belonged to their local neighbourhood and 79 per cent believed that East Lothian Council was doing the best it could with the resources available, nearly double the Scottish average of 44 per cent.

Iain Gray, East Lothian’s MSP, who called for a poverty commission to be established in the county, said: “I will tell anyone who will listen that East Lothian is the best place in Scotland to live and work, and the residents’ survey shows that county residents agree.

“That does not mean, though, that we are immune to the Scotland-wide effects of poverty, whether it is the increasing dependence on foodbanks or the dreadful gap in life expectancy between communities living cheek by jowl.

“Even a county as beautiful as this has an ugly side, if sometimes hidden. These statistics are exactly why I encouraged East Lothian Council to create their poverty commission and why the recommendations of that group must be implemented.

“I will always argue in Parliament for more urgent action to address poverty and inequality, but there are things we can do locally too.”

David Small, chief officer of East Lothian Integration Joint Board, said they were looking at investing in services for older people as party of their strategy.

He said: “We recognise that only by partners working together can the causes of such inequality be addressed and this needs to be done through community planning and through engagement with communities.”

The local authority fared well in the residents’ survey when people were asked if they believed it provided a high-quality service, with 72 per cent agreeing compared to a national average of just 42 per cent.

More than half of residents said they did not feel threatened by crime ‘at all’ in their neighbourhood, while a further 38 per cent did not feel threatened ‘very much’.

When asked for views on improvements in their local area, the top responses were roads and pavements followed by health services, with 82 per cent of residents rating their health as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.

Ward-by-ward breakdowns showed a vast difference between satisfaction with GP services, with 99 per cent of people in Haddington and Lammermuir saying they were satisfied with their local doctors, compared to just 58 per cent in the Tranent, Wallyford, Macmerry ward.

Councillor Norman Hampshire, depute council leader, said the survey results were generally very positive but stressed the importance of looking at the results and areas where improvements were needed.

He said: “East Lothian is one of the best places to live in the country but we can never afford to sit back. It’s important to use these results to help identify improvements required to services, wherever possible.

“We will continue to address high-priority issues such as improving the condition of our roads, health services and helping to create and maintain vibrant town centres.

“The results also demonstrate the importance of progressing our Council Plan, which sets out our commitments to further improving quality of life, including steps to reduce inequalities and grow the local economy.”