A WARNING has been issued that financial challenges facing East Lothian Council will affect people in Dunbar.

The local authority has already highlighted that there is an estimated financial gap in excess of £70 million over the next five years – equivalent to a quarter of the council’s annual running costs.

The situation was highlighted at Dunbar Community Council’s annual general meeting.

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Pippa Swan, the group’s chairwoman, stressed that the impact of the financial problems would be felt in the town in the coming year.

She said: “The adverse economic climate is one that is affecting East Lothian Council and all of its services.

“The threat of the imposition of car parking charges, the lack of funds to deal with coastal defences, cuts in East Lothian Council spending to support local priorities, deficits in health and social care, diminishing resources in education – all of these will impact our town.

“We will be called upon to do a great deal more with a great deal less but I expect and know that this committed team will continue to do all that it can in service to Dunbar.”

The chairwoman also paid tribute to each of her colleagues.

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She stressed that each community councillor was a volunteer and that their “primary job is to capture community views and convey these to East Lothian Council”.

The community council has been busy collecting the views of the community for the Local Place Plan, which focuses on land use for development while also identifying land and buildings that community bodies consider to be of particular significance to the local area.

Mrs Swan described developing the document as “our major project for 2023”.

She said: “Working with West Barns Community Council, Dunbar Trades’ Association, Sustaining Dunbar and the area partnership, a small steering group has designed, distributed, hosted and analysed questionnaires, invitations, meetings and responses from over 800 people.

“Every household was canvassed and thousands of pieces of gathered information will be processed to build a paper intended to set out development ambitions for Dunbar and West Barns for the next decade.

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“The Local Place Plan will address issues relating to housing, recreation, education and training, health care, the local economy and the environment, and will inform plans created both by East Lothian Council and more local strategies fostered by our community councils, existing and new community groups, and our area partnership.

“There will be a lot to do to meet the expectations of constituents of all ages.

“It is hoped that the Local Place Plan work will be complete early in 2024 – and a huge vote of thanks must go to all the players to date, some of whom have given hundreds of hours of their private time to this important endeavour.”