Local residents are being asked to help design a new cycle path and walkway for a £69million community hospital in East Lothian.

Health chiefs are getting ready to appoint architects to design the new paths which will be used by patients at East Lothian Community Hospital in Haddington, as well as being open to the public.

And they are set to hold two virtual consultation meetings later this month to hear local views on how they should be set out.

The community hospital, which was formally handed over to NHS bosses last October, still has final landscaping work to be carried out and will focus on its holistic art and environment strategy in the outdoor spaces.

Artworks have already been commissioned and created for the gardens and pathways, and the next phase will be drawing up a final brief for the work itself.

Draft proposals for the cyclepath and walkways at the south of the hospital were put together by East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership along with partners NHS Lothian and with funding support from Sustrans.

Now virtual meetings are being held on April 21 between 4pm and 5pm, and on April 29 from 6pm to 7pm, when people can hear more about the proposals for the new path.

In the partnership’s newsletter for April, it says it aims to submit an application to Sustrans for funding once all comments have come in from the consultation, which runs until the end of May.

It said: “There is still a bit to go before full funding can be confirmed. However. if it we are successful, it would mean a fantastic connection to the hospital for the local community.

“It would also contribute to continued growth in sustainable connections with the third sector and communities in the future.”

Link to the meetings here: April 21 and April 29

by Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency : funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector, and used by qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.

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The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.