Councillors commend Mayfield and Easthouses community

Councillors have applauded a community-led initiative to regenerate Mayfield and Easthouses and heard how the next step is to find money for a manager to help realise the improvements.

Significant achievement

​At the full Council meeting on Tuesday, councillors agreed In It Together’s work consulting with local people on their aspirations for Mayfield and Easthouses was a “significant achievement”.

Masterplan agreed

​What local people said then helped shape a masterplan for the area, which was finalised earlier this year.

Revitalised centre

​The masterplan’s focus is a community ‘cluster’ of shops and education spaces surrounded by an attractive pedestrianised area.

Connecting neighbourhoods

​The walkways would help reconnect the centre of Mayfield and Easthouses with adjacent neighbourhoods while space would also be available for new homes.

Continued support

​Midlothian Council’s Cabinet Member for economic development, Councillor Douglas Bowen said: “The In It Together group’s progress has been a significant achievement. Our focus now is on making sure we continue to support its members to help them realise their vision.”

Next steps

​Councillors noted the next stage in the project was for In It Together, which includes among other groups Mayfield and Easthouses Development Trust (MAEDT), the enterprise initiative McSence and Midlothian Voluntary Action, to look at funding a manager to develop a business case.

Working together

​The council will continue to work with the community group by developing a brief to help attract funding and establish priorities to push the project forward.

Realising the vision

​Architects Camerons Strachan Yuill worked with the local community on the masterplan, which was funded with £40,000 of Scottish Government Blueprint money to realise the economic benefits of the Borders Railway, matched by £40,000 of Midlothian Council money.

Lots learned

​MAEDT’s trust manager Sharon Hill said: “This has been a steep learning curve for our group but we are pleased with the masterplan as a first step towards the regeneration of the town centre.” 

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