Tag: West Lothian Council
Library and council office visits surge in West Lothian after Covid disruption
More than a million visits were made to council services including libraries and partnership centres in West Lothian in the first full year since the Covid lockdown.Ralph Bell, the Customer and Community Services...
West Lothian budget agreed
Council tax freeze accepted, service costs rise and new changes introduced for binsAlmost £2 million of additional savings have been agreed in West Lothian Council’s budget for the next year.Garden waste charges of £50...
Plans for replacement of Brutalist development fronting Linlithgow Loch in doubt
Plans to replace the 1960s town centre development in Linlithgow with a new hotel shopping or arts centre may never happen because the costs could be prohibitive.Plans for the future redevelopment of the...
West Lothian budget: £50 garden waste charge planned
A garden waste collection charge proposed by West Lothian Council, although it may soon be scrapped if the Scottish Government makes it a statutory serviceWest Lothian Council is expected to introduce a charge on...
Campaigner calls for change in law on RAAC to protect homeowners
One of the last residents of a West Lothian 'ghost estate', condemned after the discovery of the dangerous crumbling concrete, has called for action from politicians to protect homeowners faced with huge bills.Fears have...
Forecast of bungalow boom in West Lothian
An ageing population in West Lothian could bring about a boom in bungalow building.Almost 40% of local people will be over 75 by 2028 – a figure which far outstrips the national average of 25%.Livingston,...
Councillor demands air quality monitoring around whisky bonds
The development of large new whisky maturation bonds in northern Livingston has prompted a local councillor to call for air quality monitoring to be set up.Conservative Alison Adamson highlighted existing worries of locals at...
Owners of hostel for asylum seekers concerned over online racial anger
The owners of a West Lothian hotel set to become hostel for asylum seekers have admitted to concern over ‘racial anger’ already circulating online.The owners of Bathgate’s Cairn Hotel have confirmed that it has...
Pipe band congratulated on its world championships success
The world’s best pipe band has been congratulated on its success by West Lothian councilThere were cross-party congratulations for Bathgate and Boghall Pipe band at this month’s meeting of the full West Lothian Council.And...
City Region Deal will be used to improve important road link
West Lothian Council is planning to use its place at the top table of a powerful council lobby group to push for vital improvements to the Avon Gorge road link.The route is regarded as...
Listed buildings at Bangour will become flats
Three listed buildings on the site of West Lothian’s Bangour Hospital will be converted into flats.The historic buildings have been preserved on the site of the former hospital and will be integrated into the...
Off licences allowed more room for alcohol sales
Two off-licences have been given permission to have larger spaces for alcohol display and broaden their range of alcohol sales with an interior revamp of their shops.West Lothian Licensing Board met on Friday and awarded a...
Council has no cash for research on speed limits
A review of speed limits and work to create safer routes to schools across West Lothian will not happen for at least another year due to a lack of funding.The council’s Executive heard that...
Howden Park Centre thrown a lifeline
The community theatre has been given short term financial aid by West Lothian Council, but closure still looms for poolsThe council’s Executive has agreed to provide £20,000 a month from September until the end of...
West Lothian: Unions hit out at school cuts
Teaching unions have warned that changes to budgeting rules designed to “empower” head teachers will in fact force them to make severe cuts to their schoolsThe EIS has accused councillors of “passing the buck” for...
Windfarm will support the local community for another 25 years
One of Scotland largest windfarms has been granted an extra 25 years of life in a move that is expected to help ring in funds for rural communities on the fringes of the Pentland Hills. The...
Anger and bewilderment at Howden plans
Children in West Lothian will be losing a vital lifeline if a local arts centre is allowed to close, says a popular youth theatre fighting to keep the venue open.The first many young people...
WEST LOTHIAN: plan to cut hours for recycling centres
All five remain open but opening hours set to be almost halvedWest Lothian’s five recycling centres look set to have their opening hours and staff numbers cut in half – in a bid to...
West Lothian – Labour calls for reset of local government
West Lothian Council’s Labour group has called for a “reset” of the relationship between Holyrood and all 32 Scottish local councils as they highlight most of the local authority budget is ring-fenced.Following weeks of...
Flood defence to protect baby graves
A new flood defence barrier to protect the graves of babies in Bathgate cemetery is being built, following a Christmas flooding incident.The new barrier will be able to withstand a 1 in 75 year flood,...
Whitburn celebrates link to rock guitar icon
Chief of US music giant Fender, a Whitburn man, donates iconic Stratocaster guitar to town's new museumThe Chief Executive Officer of one of the world’s best-known guitar brands has given a special gift to...
West Lothian Council raises council tax by 5.8 per cent
West Lothian Council pulled back from drastic cuts to public transport subsidy and library closures in its budget, but at the cost of a 5.8 percent hike in council tax. A Labour proposal also withdrew high-profile...
West Lothian Council looking at scrapping bus subsidies and other cost cutting measures
Scrapping subsidised bus services, getting rid of lollipop staff and charging people to collect garden waste are among budget-cutting proposals set to go before West Lothian councillors.The wide reaching cutbacks have been proposed by council...
West Lothian Council supports local bus services
West Lothian Council has awarded almost £47,000 in contracts to support local buses during the festive period.The festive services will run two hourly on Christmas day and New Year’s Day and for the first time...
Monarchs rev-up search for super stadium site after West Lothian Council opt for commercial...
Edinburgh Monarchs bosses have expressed their frustration at West Lothian Council who have sold the site of the club's proposed super stadium at Livingston to an alternative bidder.The speedway club claim the move "goes...
Monarchs’ plans for new club scuppered by council
Plans by the Edinburgh Monarchs motorcycle speedway club to build a new stadium in Livingston have been dashed by the council’s decision to sell the site for industrial use.That decision could have a direct effect...
Park and ride at Kirknewton railway station to be appealed
Plans to create a commuter park-and-ride site on green fields near a village railway station may yet go ahead despite being thrown out by the local council over safety fears.Stirling Developments have appealed to...
West Lothian residents say Blackridge cycle lanes are not fit for purpose
West Lothian residents have asked ‘what’s the point of cycle lanes’ amid complaints that they are so often used by parked cars that they are ‘not fit for purpose’.The council is currently asking...
Council elections 2022 – West Lothian Council will be run as a minority Labour...
West Lothian Council will run by a minority Labour administration in a deal described as a “grubby coalition with the Tories” by the SNP, who found themselves unable to take control despite winning the...
West Lothian Council agree increase of 3% in council tax rise and a £500...
A £500 million investment in services and support for local people has been agreed by West Lothian Council – as they approved a 3% rise in council tax.The revenue budget for the next year...
