Hello! My name is Beth Landon and I am the new Energy Projects Partnership Manager, covering the East Lammermuir Community Council Area.

I have been in post for around three weeks and thought I’d introduce myself and give a bit of insight into what I’ve been getting up to so far in this new role.

My work background is in community development and community-led planning. I have been working for the Third Sector Interface on the other side of the Lammermuirs in rural Berwickshire for the last 4 years and as part of that I supported communities to develop Local Place Plans, so I am super excited to be working with a community which already has such a brilliant one registered! I live in that area with my family and our crazy Spaniel.

This new and exciting role is one which currently doesn’t exist anywhere else in Scotland. It is about facilitating a collaborative approach to multiple renewables developments in a concentrated area, one which has community agency at its heart at all stages, from planning, consent, construction to community benefits. This will involve thinking out of the box and exploring the “art of the possible”. It will be about understanding and balancing different perspectives and partnership working. To enable this much of the work will be about good communication and providing a hub of information to underpin this.

To get started I have been familiarising myself with the developments and the community, by meeting with folk and doing a lot of listening (and note taking!). I will continue to meet with community groups and residents, developers and transmission owners (plus site visits) and East Lothian Council Officers and local politicians, aiming to meet with all groups involved at least once in the first few months.

My first priority is to work on improving communications, which will meet the needs of the community (including those not comfortable online or without digital access). I am looking forward to sharing opportunities to keep informed and participate soon.

I will be at the Energy Developers public meeting on 19th May (7pm in Innerwick Village Hall), which will be a great opportunity to hear about how the energy developers can support the delivery of community priorities in the Local Place Plan, so do join us if you live in the area.