Over the summer, East Lothian Council awarded £5.1m of contracts across the county. This includes the construction of a new library, further new build council housing and a new athletics track and sports pitch at Meadowmill in Tranent in time for Glasgow to host the Commonwealth Games Glasgow2014 in 2014.
Main contractors for the project are Messrs Crawford Contracts Group Ltd.
Council Leader, Paul McLennan, said: “The contracts awarded over this period are for projects which will bring a range of benefits to council tax payers across the county. The new athletics track enhances Meadowmill as a centre of excellence for athletics in East Lothian. The project is the result of extensive discussions with local athletics clubs, coaches and athletes themselves and will be welcomed by both current and future sporting stars.”
The £887,000 contract for the construction of a new floodlit 400m all-weather running track and grass sports pitch at Meadowmill makes up the second phase of the council’s ‘Legacy Project’, which is part of the Scottish Government and Commonwealth Games Scotland initiative to generate a lasting social, economic and sporting legacy from the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing, Councillor Ruth Currie, said: “This investment, which has been supported by Sportscotland funding, will provide East Lothian with some of the best training facilities to be found anywhere in the UK.
“The council has consulted widely with sports clubs and associations across the country and the response to our proposals has been extremely positive. Glasgow hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games has provided a focus on local sport which will benefit both current and future athletes.”
The new joint school campus project for Haddington Infant School and St Mary’s Primary School was awarded £282,000 for enabling works. The project is being procured through hub South East Scotland Ltd (Hubco), which is a requirement of the Scottish Government’s schools investments programme grant of up to £4,670,000 towards the construction of the new facility. The enabling works will comprise the demolition of the existing school, asbestos removal and offsite infrastructure works, including the formation of new footpaths to the school.
£1.5 million was awarded towards a new facility in Tranent that will bring together existing Council and Library services within a single building. The development is located on the site of the recently demolished former Winton Place Amenity Services Depot and will include: a new library, community meeting and activity space, office accommodation for Environmental Protection and Anti-Social Behavioural officers, Council Community Housing and Customer Services offices with a Public Changing Places assisted toilet facility.
Other contracts awarded include: £1.6 million for 14 new council homes at Whiteloch Road, Macmerry; £290,000 for the creation of a new Communication Provision Unit at Dunbar; £166,380 for the modernisation of a two-storey building in the Queen’s Road conservation area of Dunbar and £308,000 for a new electronic document and records management system which aims to improve customer service and employee performance through quicker access to documents and from any location.
