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Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby dickens96 » Mon Aug 02, 2021 8:59 pm

Unfortunately I had a paper copy of last week's Courier but it went out with the recycling bin :shock: Like you I can't find it online - the sceptic in me wonders if it that was deliberate after the landowner's pressure? There might still be copies left at newsagents?
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Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby Gigha » Mon Aug 02, 2021 9:26 pm

thedonalds wrote:Dickens96 - Regarding the letter in the East Lothian Courier with the comment from Scottish Water - could you post a link to it please? Cant seem to track it down online, many thanks.


I still have my copy of The EL Courier, if you are still looking for the letter I could scan it. pm me with your email if you want me to do this. [I don't want to post something from a paper directly onto this site]
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Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby thedonalds » Tue Aug 03, 2021 3:51 pm

Just to add to the saga the local website https://www.oldhamstocksvillage.com/blog/hopes-reservoir-car-park-closure indicates that Scottish Water have an issue with water quality at Hopes Reservoir which requires emergency treatment work and the car park will need to be closed for the duration of the works between 14th June to 6th September 2021.

It goes on to say that East Lothian Council will also be issuing a statement to notify members of the public about this essential Scottish Water work, with suggested alternative parking arrangements but I have yet to find that on line.
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Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby thedonalds » Sat Jan 22, 2022 12:44 pm

Just wondering if anyone knows the current status of the car parking/access at Hopes Reservoir? I've not been out that way recently and with spring approaching and Covid receding (says he hopefully!) it would be good to know if the previous access problems have been resolved.
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Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby Gigha » Mon Jan 24, 2022 5:13 pm

Took a run up there this afternoon on the bike. No cars in the new estate car park, no cars parked at the filter beds, no sign of any walkers about.

I assume the emergency work at the Water treatment plant has been completed, a single Scottish Water van drove off just as I arrived.

I know it has been stated that parking in front of the filter beds should be OK, the slight problem is that the Estate have a gate between this area and the public road. [was open but had a heavy chain / padlock hanging on it] So there is the possibility of getting locked in if the Hopes Estate want to be awkward.

Note there are a couple of CCTV cameras in the area, one monitoring the new car park and one looking down the access road.
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Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby thedonalds » Wed Jan 26, 2022 2:24 pm

Gigha - Many thanks, I guess its a wait and see what transpires..........
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Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby dickens96 » Sat Jan 29, 2022 5:56 pm

I took a run out there the other week too to see what things were like. Once again the large car park was empty - what a waste of money! There were some Scottish Water workers at the filter house, and they just smiled and waved. I notice that the estate has put a sign up on the filter house car park wall saying it is for Scottish Water vehicles only, but I assume its not their job to police it. I think the gate is after the filter house?

It saddens me that the Hopes Estate have been so mean-minded in this. Going to the trouble of building a large car park then restricting access to a ridiculously small number of vehicles and a small number of access times is just stupidity.
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Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby dickens96 » Sat Jan 29, 2022 6:45 pm

Regarding the blocking of the road verges I noticed quite a way back along the public road that wooden posts have been put in place on the verges where it would be possible to park - there are only a few places - and along the verges leading to the filter beds. The boulders seem to have been removed but replaced by these posts. I'll get in touch with ELC, as this is a public road and safe verge parking is allowed. Once again the mean-minded estate seeking to restrict access.
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Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby thedonalds » Tue Feb 01, 2022 5:34 pm

There's a list of ELC public roads here https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/263162/response/648255/attach/3/East%20Lothian%20List%20of%20Roads.pdf and in that there is road reference C98 (01) from Longyester School (C99) to West Hopes, see map below. If the description is correct and "West Hopes" is the house about 1km beyond the filter beds then the track that continues beyond the car park and leads to West Hopes is a public road and so should not locked off by the estate. If by West Hopes they mean the filter beds then this at least confirms its public road to that point.
Map.png
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Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby Senja » Tue Feb 01, 2022 8:01 pm

There have been attempts by Hopes to get the whole road closed.
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Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby eileenholttum » Sat Mar 05, 2022 6:55 pm

Access legislation is to do with access for cycling and walking, and has nothing to do with parking cars, which are now becoming a problem in parts of Scotland, as they are in the Lakes. I do not comment on whether the Local Authority could be more helpful.
Hopes Reservoir is indeed a lovely area, not accessible by public transport. In future I will pack a bike so I can ride the last mile or 2, to the start of these fine walks.
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Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby dickens96 » Thu Feb 16, 2023 4:41 pm

An update on this issue.

This week's East Lothian Courier carries a letter detailing issues that have been brought to the attention of East Lothian Council as they concern access and parking along a public road. The estate has put obstacles on the grass verges of the public road that stop parking and installed gates with padlocks that can close access to a public road in contravention of planning control. The signage is also misleading - the Scottish Water car park does not belong to the estate and as previously noted they are content with parking there by walkers providing it does not interfere with their access or operations.

In addition it appears the car park built by the Estate did not have planning permission and they are now applying for this retrospectively. Anyone wish to object can find the application on the ELC Planning website with the reference 23/00059/P.
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Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby JuliaS » Sat Feb 18, 2023 5:20 pm

dickens96 wrote:An update on this issue.


In addition it appears the car park built by the Estate did not have planning permission and they are now applying for this retrospectively. Anyone wish to object can find the application on the ELC Planning website with the reference 23/00059/P.


Do we have any grounds on which we can realistically object?
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Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby Girl Outdoors » Mon Feb 20, 2023 2:25 am

Trying to get my head around this. I read some of the planning application and what a load of rubbish!
Inconsiderate parking causing problems of access for Scot Water? they were apparently happy for walkers to park there if access wasn't blocked. I know Hopes have apparently done done some unethical stuff like the rocks on the side of the road and gating the road but whether that can be used to object to a planning application I'm not sure. Jokes on them though, i just walk further and wont let them discourage me. Its a nice area.
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Re: Closure of Hopes Reservoir car park, East Lothian

Postby dickens96 » Tue Feb 21, 2023 8:34 pm

I have objected as follows:

I object to this aplication on the grounds that it contains false or misleading information in the planning application form.

1. It states that the access and parking is not from a public road which is not the case as the road from which it is accessed is a public adopted road.
2. It states that does not affect public rights of access. This is not the case as the restricted opening hours of the proposed car park and the fact it will be permit only (of which only a few are issued at a cost of £5 a month) restrict the rights of access of the public, and in all respects restricts rights of access to this area.
3. The accompanying case document states that there is an issue with public parking. Apart from 1 or 2 weekends during the end of the covid lockdown this has never been the case, and for most times the area is deserted.
4. There are no designated parking spaces shown on the plan for people with disabilities.

In addition there are currently issues between the Estate and East Lothian Council Highways concerning access involving the obstructing of grass verge with unauthorised posts and boulders. This action is not only unauthorised but will also cause potential parking issues as publically accessible parking is restricted by these obstacles, and there is no open access to this large car park.

Should retrospective planning permission be granted it should be with the condition that the proposed car park is free access to the public at all times during the day without restriction or payment. Other estates not too far away (e.g. Baddinsgill Farm and Broughton Place) provide open access parking spaces without charge for walkers.
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