£350,000 bid launched to reduce traffic and add more cycleways

East Lothian Council is urging residents to have their say by going online and using an interactive map to identify locations and comment on what improvements could be made and should be adopted.

In a move the local authority insists is for "temporary changes" to support social distancing, it is applying for £350,000 from the Scottish Government's Spaces for People fund.

However, Councillor Norman Hampshire, the council's environment spokesman, said the changes would allow the local authority to look longer term at how it can change streets and communities for the better.

The Spaces for People programme aims to enable measures focused on protecting public health, supporting social distancing and preventing a second wave of the outbreak.

Councillor Hampshire said it would also provide an "invaluable opportunity" to try out changes which include extending pavements, creating extra cycle lanes and reducing traffic in some streets.

He said: “The new Spaces for People fund presents East Lothian with opportunities to create alternative travel options to and within our town centres supporting both local businesses and communities to bounce back from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Whilst the fund is for ‘temporary measures’ to enable people to return to our town centres to work, shop and visit, it also provides an invaluable opportunity to see how small changes can have an immediate and meaningful impact on our local communities and environment.

“We have seen high levels of walking and cycling during lockdown and significant reductions in the usage of motor vehicles resulting in improved air quality.

"We would like to maintain these levels of sustainable travel by providing safer environments and are considering the introduction of traffic calming measures, extending pavements to allow space for social distancing, creating extra temporary cycle lanes and adding additional cycling parking.

“It’s vital to the local economy that our town centres can become vibrant again with businesses re-opening and customers returning but this must be achieved in a carefully managed process."

Prior to lockdown, the council was facing pressure from businesses in Haddington opposed to proposed changes to its town centre, including plans to create a park and ride car park outwith the town centre and  remove some on-street parking on the High Street as well as increase cycle lanes.

Posters can still be seen in the town centre, where the council headquarters are based, calling for support to 'Save Haddington Town Centre'.

The council has launched a public consultation on what emergency measures could be introduced to support social distancing with the Space for People funding.

Through the use of an interactive map, it is urging residents to identify and comment on locations in East Lothian where they think changes could be made to "improve the streets for walking, wheeling and cycling".

The types of improvements the council would like to hear about include:

• Are there any pinch points or areas where the pavements are so narrow that you have to squeeze past other people to get to your destination?

• Are there any gates or barriers that you need to touch or open to get onto a route?

• Are there rows of businesses, with parking and narrow pavements outside, where people are queuing regularly and unable to stay 2m apart?

• Do you know a residential road that now has very few cars on it but where there is regular speeding and/or rat running?

• Do you know quiet residential through routes that are perfect for exercise or safe travel but are spoilt by cars moving through them too quickly?

• If you have mobility issues are there any routes that have social distancing or access barriers?

The window for comment is brief, however, with a submission to the Scottish Government due from the council by the end of this month.

To comment on the plans - and also see other people's suggestions - go to elothianspacesforpeople.commonplace.is