UPDATE ON FLETCHER HALL, EAST SALTOUN – November 2024

Previous Newsletters have explained that it remains our goal to replace the current community hall with a new building. The current hall is near the end of its useful life, with a number of ongoing issues to manage, including: significant amounts of asbestos concealed within the structure (subject to an Asbestos Management Plan and regular inspections); the presence of woodworm and rot in some inaccessible parts of the structure; and the need for additional structural supports to a gable wall.

With the assistance of East Lothian Council, a Community Intervention Capital Grant, and input from past and present committee members, we have undertaken extensive repairs and maintenance in order to keep the hall and surrounding grounds usable in the short-medium term, but the building’s lifetime is limited. The mothballing of Saltoun Primary School has now brought further concerns; their use of the hall has ceased and we have lost the rental income that contributed significantly to covering the building’s running costs.

East Lothian Council have stated that they will support us in the short term with the ongoing management and monitoring of the building’s numerous issues, but we cannot be certain about how long this commitment will continue (even assuming that the building is still safe enough to use). Funding a replacement building is a huge challenge in the current economic climate, with the asbestos removal and demolition alone likely to be extremely expensive. The committee trustees continue to explore feasible options to generate the funding needed to replace the current building.  We are also participating in the development of a Local Place Plan to set out the community’s aspirations for “Saltoun’s Future”; part of that will include the future of the village hall, its grounds, and other community facilities.