A TARGET has been set for all people in East Lothian to have “access to warm, high-quality, affordable homes which meet their needs” by the end of the decade.

The local authority’s Local Housing Strategy (LHS) sets out plans for the delivery of housing and related services in the county until 2029.

Already, five priorities have been identified, including that communities are supported to flourish, be distinctive and be well connected, and that housing supply is accessible, affordable and provides a range of choices to meet the needs of people across East Lothian.

The strategy also aims to combat homelessness and ensure a rapid response is in place, as well as that all homes in the county are “maintained to a high standard, are energy efficient and contribute to meeting climate change targets”.

An online consultation began last week, with six in-person events planned throughout September and October.

Councillor Andy Forrest, cabinet spokesperson for housing and property maintenance, said: “Researching for and preparing this draft LHS for East Lothian has been a huge piece of work for our housing teams and community partners and I would like to thank everyone involved for participating and bringing this key document together.

“We are proposing that, by 2029, people in East Lothian will have access to warm, high-quality, affordable homes which meet their needs and enable them to live in communities with the support and services they require.”

Each local authority in Scotland has a statutory duty to prepare a LHS for its area, supported by an assessment of need and demand of housing provision and related services.

The draft LHS sets out the strategy, priorities and plans for the delivery of housing and related services across East Lothian for a five-year period from 2024, and within the context of the current financial challenges.

The LHS plays a number of important roles, including:

l Setting out the strategic direction of the council and its partners to deliver high-quality housing and related services, to meet identified need across the county;

l Outlining the council’s approach to meeting its statutory housing responsibilities, i.e. in relation to homelessness, house conditions and fuel poverty;

l Summarising the response to national housing priorities, i.e. the Scottish Housing Quality Standard; town centre living; reduction in carbon emissions and supporting the development of sustainable communities, while also reflecting the needs and priorities of the local area;

l Demonstrating how housing can contribute to improvements in health and well-being, the reduction of poverty and influence the effective integration of health and social care.

The first consultation event takes place on September 30 at Musselburgh’s Fisherrow Centre from 11am to 3pm.

Following the consultation period, the final draft LHS will be presented to council cabinet in January 2024 for sign off before being sent to the Scottish Government and becoming an official council document.

Then, on October 3, an event will be held at Haddington Primary School from 4.30-7.30pm before a meeting in Chalmers Memorial Church on October 12 from 2-5.30pm.

The consultation in Dunbar takes place in the Bleachingfield Centre on October 18 from 4.30-8.30pm and the Tranent event is in The Fraser Centre from 4-8pm on October 24.

Finally, an event is held on November 3, from 1-5pm, in North Berwick’s Hope Rooms.

The online consultation runs until November 3.