This letter has been sent to Paul McLennan, Craig Hoy and Martin Whitfield.
Dear Paul, Craig & Martin,
Thank you for your public support during the recent Holyrood election campaign for the Drem–Gullane path that will provide a safe route between the villages, avoiding the busy B1345 road. We are writing to you as we now need your active support.
As you know, our campaign commands overwhelming public support among residents and the business community. It is essential that local families, and visitors to the area, are given a healthy alternative that will allow safe travel between the villages of Drem and Gullane as part of a comprehensive network of such routes across the county. Note also that Gullane is becoming the size of a small town thanks to the hundreds of houses being erected near the proposed path.
We recently met with an officer of East Lothian Council and representatives of Sustrans Scotland for an update of an application the council made last December for a £15,000 grant to draft feasibility plans for the southern end of the route where it enters the village of Drem.
Sustrans expect to adjudicate on it by the end of September. In response to our questioning as to what would happen next, both the council and Sustrans explained that a successful application for the feasibility assessment would be just the start of a multi-stage and multi-year process: feasibility assessment to detailed designs to actual construction.
The council representative stated therefore that the construction of the path would not start for "years", at best in 2024, because of the processes involved in applying for grants from Sustrans for the technical assessments required.
This timescale has shocked us and we believe contradicts the council’s publicly stated position of improving active travel infrastructure urgently in light of the recognised climate emergency.
All the more so as our country will be hosting the COP26 summit in November, and yet here, within 70 miles of the conference centre, we have an example of how global statements, agreements and policies as to the importance and urgency of creating active travel infrastructure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions seemingly do not flow down to actual results at the local level. It's an extremely dispiriting story.
An active travel network across East Lothian will help reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. It is vital that construction starts as soon as possible. Council leaders must show political leadership and compress this unacceptable timescale.
We believe you can show your support for the campaign on our behalf, in a couple of ways by writing to:
1) Sustrans in support of the council's current grant application for £15,000 to make a feasibility study re the Drem end of the path and,
2) to the council urging a rethink of the level of priority and their apparent lack of urgency regarding building the path.
We look forward to your joint response.
Iain, Jonathan & Rosalind
Drem-Gullane Path Campaign
