Inside News - Spring 2025 edition

Insidenews
April 2025 - Email your news to media@westlothian.gov.uk
VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE
PAGE 6
OF THE JOB
Lots to
enjoy at the
Social Club
this Easter!
P3
Earn while
you learn
P9
is coming to
your PC soon
P13

Welcome to the Spring edition of Inside News
The recent changing of the clocks and move into British Summertime means
the council’s official winter period has come to an end.
E
very winter brings its own
unpredictable challenges and that
proved to be the case as we dealt with an
extremely rare red weather warning with
the arrival of Storm Eowyn.
My thanks to everyone for their efforts
during this extremely challenging period
as services very quickly established
contingency plans to ensure vital services
could continue where possible. A special
thank you to colleagues who worked to
keep roads clear from debris and secure
properties both during the storm and in the
aftermath. You can read more about this
further into this edition.
With Spring underway that of course
means that exam season will begin for our
secondary school pupils. I wish our school
staff the very best as they support pupils
during this period and hope they also
manage to get some rest over the Easter
break ahead of an extremely busy end to
the school year.
Finally, an additional thank you to
colleagues who delivered the By Election
in the Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh
council ward.
Graham Hope
Chief Executive
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Keeping ‘The Promise’
Professionals and management from across Children’s Services
in West Lothian were delighted to attend the Promise Learning
Collaborative recently held in Livingston.
T
hese events are in-person sessions
facilitated by The Promise Scotland.
There are multiple Collaboratives a year,
which are hosted in different places across
Scotland. They’re designed for the
workforce, with their target audience
alternating between frontline workers,
team managers, and senior leaders.
Our staff were delighted to be invited to
showcase the work we are undertaking to
#KeepThePromise for our care experienced
children, young people and adults.
Our joint Kinship Support Service with
Children`s First, showcased the range
of supports on offer for Kinship Families
across West Lothian and the excellent
work that has been undertaken to ensure
Kinship Carers and their families have
greater access to supports.
Find out more about the Kinship
Services on offer
2 insidenews / Spring 2024
Email your news to media@westlothian.gov.uk or call 01506 282006

Gold Star for West Lothian primary pupils
Primary pupils in West Lothian are top of the class when it comes to literacy and numeracy.
T
he number of West Lothian pupils
achieving the expected levels in both
literacy and numeracy were the highest on
record for 2023/24, according to recently
released national figures.
Details of primary school performance
relating to Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) levels
for the whole of Scotland were published by the
Scottish Government.
It shows that hard-working primary pupils
across West Lothian performed above the
national average in every one of the 15
measures.
The percentage of P1, P4 and P7 pupils in
West Lothian combined who were achieving
the expected levels in literacy and numeracy
were both more than five percentage points
about the national average, at 79.6% and 85%
respectively.
Progress has been made to narrow the
attainment gaps in West Lothian compared to
last year, with primary pupils from the areas
of highest deprivation achieving above the
national average in both literacy and numeracy.
The percentage of West Lothian pupils from
these areas achieved the expected level in
literacy and numeracy were 73.1% and 77.4%
respectively, both significantly higher than the
national averages of 64.4% and 71.9%.
Plenty to do and see with
the Social Club this Easter
Looking for something to do over the Easter break? Then
The Sports and Social Club might be able to help you out!
They have discounted tickets available for Edinburgh Zoo, Camera
Obscura, Blair Drummond, East Links, Clyde Valley, Innoflate, Mill Farm,
Jupiter Artland, Five Sisters, Hive and Wee Eden (Walking with the
Alpacas in West Calder). At the time of writing, the club also has limited
tickets available for shows such as Mama Mia and Tina the Musical.
Information on how to join the Social Club and further information on
activities can be found by clicking the button below.
Join the Social Club
Club members are invited to the AGM on Thursday, 15 May, at 5:30 pm at
Bathgate Royal British Legion. Enjoy a free buffet and raffle. No need to
give notice you want to attend, just turn up by 5.30pm.
Pantomime tickets for 2025
shows will go on sale shortly.

Gerry Burns has been appointed Headteacher
of St Kentigern’s Academy in Blackburn.
He will be first leader of the new state-of-the-art facility, which is the third and final school built
as part of the Winchburgh Schools Campus project, the council’s largest ever investment in
education at more than £60 million.
T
he former principal teacher of
Science, CDT and Computing at St
Margaret’s Academy in Livingston was
previously headteacher at Sinclair
Academy in Winchburgh.
Gerry was also depute head at St
Mungo’s Academy in Glasgow.
After completing an initial degree in
Electronics with Music, Dr Burns went on
to achieve his Doctorate in Semiconductor
Engineering, both at Glasgow University,
and carried out research work in this
field there before making the move into
education.
The father of four has continued
his studies during his teaching career,
completing both the demanding Master of
Science in Educational Leadership and Into
Headship programmes.
In his spare time, Dr Burns enjoys
spending time with his family and two
Labradors, running marathons, and is also
a keen musician.
Dr Burns said: “It is a huge
honour to be appointed as
headteacher of St Kentigern’s
Academy. With all the new
development and investment
ongoing, it’s a new chapter
for the school and the wider
school community. It’s a
privilege to lead such a
wonderful school, and I look
forward to working closely
with the entire community.”
Response to Storm Eowyn
ere was plenty to clear up in Eowyn’s wake. From damaged fences, broken
street columns and significant damage to properties, it has been a busy
time for teams across the council to action repair work.
H
owever, the most visible impact of the
storm was visible in the thousands of
trees brought down by the high winds.
Supported by the rangers’ service, tree
inspectors and other council staff with
experience in this area, our arborists have
worked their way through 800 public enquiries
regarding tree related issues in the aftermath of
storm Eowyn.
Interim head of operational Services, David
Maule said: “My thanks to all staff across
Operational Services for their work to help West
Lothian recover from the storm. Staff battled
extreme and complicated scenarios caused by
the thousands of trees felled by the high winds.
Our dedicated teams worked round the clock
to make priority routes safe for the public and
long-term work required to fully reopen our
country parks.”
4 insidenews / Spring 2024
Email your news to media@westlothian.gov.uk or call 01506 282006

The Fleet team sprung into action
to ensure the pupils of Pinewwod
School in Blackburn were not left
without transport
T
The school’s minibus had sadly been out
action following an incident of vandalism
on the school grounds.
Knowing how important the vehicle is to the
pupils, the Fleet team worked on repairs this
week to ensure it could be back serving the
school community as quickly as possible, much
to the delight of pupils and staff.
Pinewood School Head Teacher, Dr Thomas
McGovern said: “I’d like to thank the council’s
Fleet team for their efforts getting the minibus
back to us so quickly. It’s a really vital resource
to allow us to take our pupils out into the
community, providing opportunities to
enhance their learning and wellbeing.”
West Lothian residents
should put out their bins on
their usual collection dates
over the Easter weekend.
Bins should be left out until they are
emptied, householders are asked to be
patient while crews work to clear any
backlog caused by the bank holidays on
Good Friday 18 April and Easter Monday 21
April 2025.
Resources will be prioritised to collect
grey and brown bins on the bank holiday
days, with green and blue bins likely to
be delayed. Our hard-working teams are
aiming to have all bins uplifted within a
week of your usual collection date.
Anyone who is unsure of their collection
dates can check and register for emails
reminder at www.westlothian.gov.uk/bins.
You can check for updates on any delayed
collections at www.westlothian.gov.uk/
bin-collection-updates.
All five of West Lothian’s recycling
centres will be open as normal over the
Easter holiday weekend. To book a visit,
please click here.
If you have booked a recycling centre
visit and no longer require it, please cancel
your booking so it can be used by another
resident. Links to cancel or modify your
booking are on the confirmation email you
received when booking your visit.
Purchase your Garden Waste Permit
Garden Waste Collection
Subscription Reference
Subscription Address
Garden Waste Subscription
For more information about
your garden waste service,
scan the QR code below.
Garden
Waste
collected
From 1 June 2025 you must display a new permit if you want to continue with your garden
waste collection. If you don’t purchase and display a valid permit, only food waste will be
collected.
Please purchase your new/renewal
permit from 14 April 2025.
Purchase Permit
5 insidenews / Spring 2024
Email your news to media@westlothian.gov.uk or call 01506 282006

VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE
IT’S
OF THE JOB
Incidents of violent and
verbal assault against council
staff are increasing with over
2,500 staff reporting that they
have experienced violence
and aggression at work - the
equivalent of 7 incidents being
reported each day.
Incidents of violence and aggression can come in various
forms such as verbal abuse or threats, made face to face,
online and via telephone or physical attacks.
This might include violence from members of the public,
customers, clients, patients, service users and students
towards a person at work.
Everyone that goes to work deserves to be treated with
respect, and the message for our staff is that all instances
of violence and aggression directed towards them when
they are undertaking their work must be reported.
“This is an issue that is becoming more
prominent and the council is committed to
supporting staff who work in, what can be at
times, very difficult circumstances. No one
should be abused, threatened or attacked
at work when they’re trying to do their
job. Unfortunately, we’re seeing a growing
amount of abusive and aggressive behaviour,
including on the phones, on social media
and in person. Our priority is to focus on the
wellbeing of our staff and to take all the steps
available to us to protect them from this type
of behaviour.”
Lesley Henderson, Head of Corporate Services
Incidents should be reported on Sphera. Guidance on how to report such incidents can be found within the My Toolkit section of the intranet.
If you have any concerns about violence and aggression please speak your line manager.
6 insidenews / Spring 2024 Email your news to media@westlothian.gov.uk or call 01506 282006

Neonatal Care
Leave: Supporting
Parents When
It Matters Most
According to the charity Bliss, one in seven babies born in the UK are
admitted to neonatal care shortly after birth because they have either been
born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or full term but sick.
Neonatal Care Leave is a new entitlement,
available to parents of babies born on or after 6
April 2025, to time away from work in addition
to other parental leave (Maternity, Paternity,
Adoption and Shared Parental Leave) to assist
parents to cope with additional worries relating
to work and finances during a time when they
should be able to focus on their baby or babies.
Neonatal Care Leave is available to people
with a parental relationship to the baby/babies,
whether they are the mother or birthing parent,
father or other non-birthing parent such as
non-birthing mother, spouse, or civil partner. If
both parents work for the council, both parents
are entitled to Neonatal Care Leave and Pay
(if eligible). The right to Neonatal Care Leave
and Pay (if eligible) also applies to adoptive
parents and parents who have a child through a
surrogacy arrangement.
Where their baby spends at least 7 continuous
days receiving neonatal care that starts within
28 days of their birth, employees can take
one week’s neonatal care leave for every
uninterrupted week their baby receives
neonatal care, up to a maximum of 12 weeks.
Leave must be taken in weekly blocks and
must be taken within 68 weeks of the baby’s
date of birth.
More information
Supporting the use of
lone worker devices
L
one working devices are an important tool
designed to help keep staff save when
they are working on their own.
The devices
Examples of lone working are:
Working in derelict buildings.
Visiting remote locations.
Visiting clients either at home or in their
workplace.
Late evening/early morning work where you
might be the only person in attendance.
The use of a lone working device provides direct
communication with an alarm receiving centre
(ARC) who will contact emergency services to
help if required.
Each Service manages their own lone working
arrangements, including the use of fobs and
updating /monitoring the lone working portal. All
enquiries regarding lone working devices should
be directed to line managers or designated
personnel within the service to resolve.
More information
7 insidenews / Spring 2024

Take part in Spring Clean 25
S
pring Clean is Keep Scotland Beautiful’s
annual campaign which encourages
thousands of volunteers spend time outdoors
cleaning up the environment through sociable,
fun, litter picking sessions.
Spring Clean 2025 takes place from 21 March –
21 April and our Cleaner Communities Team is
once again encouraging participation and can
help organise registered group litter picks and
provide litter picking equipment to support
local volunteers, schools and businesses.
For young people across the country who
want to get involved, the Litter League will
be returning this year, beginning the week
before on 17 March and running until 21 April.
Schools, nurseries and other youth groups
across the country are encouraged to take part
and compete for Spring Clean glory.
With 39 events already registered set to see
over 2000 people taking part, West Lothian is
leading the way as things currently stand.
Want to add your event to the list?
If you have a local event you are looking
to get registered as part of Spring Clean,
or if you are looking for some support to
set an event up, please get in touch with
the Cleaner Communities Team via email -
communitycleanup@westlothian.gov.uk
More information
Employee
Equality Network
A stunning venue for
your special day
Learn more
Watch Video
In support of providing a positive employee experience, and
creating a more diverse and inclusive organisation, the Council
has agreed to establish an employee equality network which will
raise awareness of equality issues and help people across the
organisation to better understand the experiences and challenges
faced by their colleagues.
Employees who join the network will be in a position to work in
partnership with the Council on issues relating to equality, diversity
and inclusion and to provide insights and perspectives from
employees who either have lived experience of equality issues, or
are committed to improving equality and diversity in the council.
If you are interested in joining the equality network, please
note your interest by clicking on the link below and completing
a short survey indicating what your area(s) of interest are:
Join

Earn while
you learn
apprenticeships
in the spotlight
To mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week, the council’s Organisational Development Team and
apprentices teamed up to showcase apprenticeship opportunities with the council.
The information sessions took place at
Whitehill House in Bathgate, where attendees
had the chance to interact with current and
former apprentices and gain an insight in to
what it’s like to earn while you learn.
A number of council services were
represented, providing specific details on
careers in specific trade areas in additions
to experts from across further education,
agriculture and the construction industry
were in attendance providing pupils with a
wide overview of potential pathways into
apprenticeships.
Apprentices across the council receive
practical and theory learning, with all
apprentices completing college work which
is combined with on-the-job training with
experienced staff. Apprentices work across a
variety of roles including roads, horticulture,
fleet mechanic, electricians, plumbers, joiners,
plasterers and roofers. The council also
employs Modern Apprentices in office- based
roles such as Accounting, Customer Service,
the Advice Shop/Financial Inclusion and
Planning Services.
West Lothian Council Senior Organisational
Development Advisor Stuart McDonald
said: “We hope everyone who attended our
apprenticeship information sessions left
with a greater understanding of the potential
pathway towards an apprenticeship with the
council.
“Apprenticeships present
a fantastic opportunity for
someone to earn while they
learn, gaining valuable career
experience while picking up
qualifications they can take
with them for the rest of their
working lives.”
One employee who certainly enjoyed their apprenticeship with
the council is Keris Simpkins
Keris is a Plasterer with our Building Services
team, having previously completed her
apprenticeship with the council.
Prior to that, she came through the Girls Into
Construction programme whilst at secondary
school.
Keris said: “My apprenticeship was absolutely
fantastic and I love my job. I love making
a difference to people’s homes and that
satisfaction of doing a good job. I work with
some great people and get to meet interesting
people every day.
“Apprenticeships are fantastic for men and
women and I’d encourage anyone to look at
what apprenticeships are on offer and to go
for it.”
9 insidenews / Spring 2024 Email your news to media@westlothian.gov.uk or call 01506 282006

Staff News
Congratulations to
Diane Pape (Pupil
Support Worker/
Breakfast Club
Supervisor) who
recently celebrated
25 years working at
Armadale Primary
School.
All of her colleagues
want to wish her many congratulations and
hope she serves a few more years as part of the
team!
The Broxburn housing team are delighted
to have welcomed new Housing Officers-
Maureen Drysdale, Marc Sutherland and
Housing Assistant Meghan Willetts-Easby
There have also been a few significant birthday
milestones to celebrate in the Housing Service!
Many happy returns to Maureen Drysdale (60),
Marc Sutherland (30), Seline Stewart (70) and
Sharon Paterson (50)
There have also been a few fond farewells
across the Housing Service with colleagues
recently celebrating their retirement.
Armadale Housing Office said goodbye to
Fiona MacFarlane & Carolann Black who
will both be missed by their colleagues.
Staff in the Homelessness service said a
fond farewell to Dave Scott.
Frances Eglinton
was given a
great send off by
colleagues after
38 years of service
with the council.
She passes on
her thanks to
colleagues and
friends and thanks
them all for their kind gifts.
Happy retirement to all!
Sharon bowls over the competition
A huge congratulations to Senior Auditor,
Sharon Leitch who was victorious in the British
Isles Indoor Bowling Championship finals in
Wales.
Sharon, alongside her playing partner Lorraine
Craig, claimed victory in the Women’s Pairs
category at the tournament held at the Selwyn
Samuel Centre, Llanelli.
It was a resounding success for Sharon and
Lorraine. The pair kicked off the competition
with a 25-11 victory over hosts, Wales and
followed this up with a resounding 28-5 win
over Ireland in the semi-finals.
That set them up for a final with England and
their good form continued, winning 27-7 to
bring the championship home to Scotland!
Acting Head of Finance and Property Services,
Kenneth Ribbons, and all of her colleagues in
the Audit, Risk and Counter Fraud unit want
to say a huge congratulations to Sharon on a
magnificent achievement!
A long serving member of our education staff is lacing up their running
shoes to take on the London Marathon for charity
Murray Gourdie has been a music instructor working
for West Lothian Council for the past 33 years.
He is running his first marathon and joining 56,000
others taking on the London Marathon on Sunday 27
April in order to raise money for Children with Cancer
UK.
Here’s his fundraising story in his own words:
“Next month, at the age of 56 I will lace up my running
shoes, pin on my race bib, and run 26.2 miles in
my first ever marathon. Along with personalities
like Paula Radcliffe I am running the 2025 London
Marathon to raise funds for Children with Cancer UK,
a charity with a vision of a world where every child
and young person survives cancer. Every day, families
receive the devastating news that their child has
cancer. But together, we can make a difference. I’m
raising funds to help provide life-saving treatment,
emotional support, and vital research to give these
children a fighting chance. I’d be incredibly grateful
if you would consider sponsoring me in this event.
Every donation, no matter how big or small, will have
an impact.” You can donate to Murray’s epic challenge
by clicking here.
Photography and filming
copyright and permission
Staff are reminded of the following
procedures regarding photography:
Do not download images from the
Internet/Intranet as you will not have
permission to use the photograph/film
and could cost the council money if data
protection laws are not followed, the
council has a photography contract which
ensures that we comply with copywrite
and data protection laws.
If you do have to take a photograph then
please ensure that person(s) outwith the
council’s signs a permission form which
can be downloaded from the intranet
And finally, please remember that if you
are happy having your photograph or
filming taken to promote West Lothian
Council that you have provided consent
for the content/image being held by
West Lothian Council and used in its
promotional literature, displays and
publicity materials within two years and
that any photographs or filming will be
appearing on West Lothian Council’s
intranet, website, social media and shared
with our community planning partners as
appropriate
10 insidenews / Spring 2024 Email your news to media@westlothian.gov.uk or call 01506 282006

St Margaret’s teacher
shortlisted for top
international prize
Congratulations to Mairi Godley,
a Modern Languages teacher at
St. Margaret’s Academy, who was
included in the top 50 shortlist for
the GEMS Education Global Teacher
Prize, a Varkey Foundation initiative
organised in collaboration with
UNESCO.
Pictured are Mairi (front) alongside
St Margaret’s Academy Head
Teacher, Isla Wright
M
airi was selected from over 5,000
nominations and applications from 89
countries around the world.
Now in its ninth year, the $1 million Global
Teacher Prize is the largest prize of its kind.
Mairi spearheaded a whole-school Learning
for Sustainability project, which gained
prominence during COP26, where her
students presented innovative solutions to
environmental issues.
Under her leadership, the school’s Eco Group
achieved Green Flag Status, and students
participated in international initiatives like the
1.5 Max Climate Change Summit, collaborating
with schools from Malawi and Nepal.
She organises extracurricular activities, such
as meditation and running clubs, to promote
mental and physical well-being. She established
partnerships with the Polish community,
enabling students to earn recognition for their
proficiency in Polish through the Languages for
Life and Work Award.
Page 5
This initiative culminated in a celebration
attended by students, parents and the Polish
Consulate.
Page 5
Speaking about the incredible experience,
she said: “I am so grateful to have been
shortlisted amongst so many inspiring teachers
from across the globe. The selection process
saw me interviewed by the Varkey Foundation
during the Christmas break before I was then
judged by a committee of educational experts
against a rigorous set of criteria.
“I can’t describe the privilege of being
shortlisted and attending the final in Dubai
was an incredible experience in itself. It was
fascinating to meet with so many brilliant
educators and get an insight into their best
practice. There are certainly plenty of learnings
I have taken away from the experience that I
hope will positively impact the experience I can
give my pupils in their education.”
West Lothian Child Protection
Committee (CPC) asked young
people to design a
new logo. The newly
established Children’s Rights
Network took responsibility for
organising and judging
the competition.
The competition was won by Indi (aged 7) who
attends Southdale Primary School. Indi said that
her design shows that the CPC helps and supports
all children, no matter where in the world they
come from and no matter whether they have a
disability or not. She was presented with her prize
by Stevie Healy, Chair of the CPC.
West Lothian Child Protection Committee
P r o t e c t a n d
h e l p C h i l d r e n
Indi’s vision was
transformed into a new logo
11 insidenews / Spring 2024 Email your news to media@westlothian.gov.uk or call 01506 282006

Safety measures investment
To mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week, the council’s Organisational Development Team and
apprentices teamed up to showcase apprenticeship opportunities with the council.
Design Engineering Manager, Graeme Burton and
Engineer, Martin Wilkinson met pupils from both
Primary Schools to see how the Preston Road crossing
is positively impacting on their school day.
T
he Roads and Transportation service
is nearing completion of its
programme for twelve new pedestrian
crossing facilities as part of the Active Travel
Plan that helps to encourage cycling,
walking and improving safety for road
users.
The installation of the pedestrian
crossings within West Lothian is funded
by the Scottish Government through their
Cycling, Walking and Safer Routes (CWSR)
initiative: -
These programmes have been
completed:
A89 at Newhouses Road, Broxburn
(Pedestrian refuge island)
Murieston West Road, Livingston (Toucan
crossing)
Kirkton South Road, Livingston (Toucan
crossing)
Lower Bathville, Armadale (Zebra
crossing upgrade)
Hardhill Road, Bathgate (puffin crossing)
Springfield Road, Linlithgow (puffin
crossing)
Church Street, Addiewell (Upgrade of
zebra to puffin crossing)
Calder Park Road, Mid Calder (dropped
kerb crossing)
Main Street, Mid Calder (puffin crossing)
Preston Road, Linlithgow (puffin
crossing)
These projects are expected to be
complete towards the end of March:
North Street, Armadale (Puffin crossing)
Main Street, East Whitburn (Pedestrian
refuge island)
One of the new measures has recently
been completed on Preston Road, between
Linlithgow Primary School and St Joseph’s
RC Primary School.
Over £6million is to be invested in roads,
footways, street lighting, bridges and
structures and flood prevention and
drainage during 2025/26.This includes £1.3
million on roads projects including Road
Casualty Reduction schemes, Traffic signal
improvements and active travel schemes.
An amazing new support group for
women has been set up at The Jim
Walker Partnership Centre, Bathgate.
N
icola’s has been set up in memory
of a local woman, Nicola Thyne
who was an amazing daughter, mum,
sister, cousin, auntie, friend, mental
health nurse & soldier.
Nicola’s is run as a non-profitable
charity wishing to promote mental health
& wellbeing for women. Many of the
volunteers involved in the running of the
group have connections to the council
and have vast experience in health and
social work.
Jacqueline McLay, a service
coordinator with social policy is one of
the volunteers.
She said: “Nicola was a beautiful person
inside and out and this group looks to
honour her memory, serving as a safe
and friendly space for women to come
together to discuss any concerns they
have in relation to their wellbeing.
“The free drop-ins aim to provide support
and advice to anyone who needs it but
most of all, provide somewhere for
women to meet in a safe environment
even if they are feeling lonely or isolated
and need to get out of the house for a bit
of company.”
Sessions are free to attend and open
from 10am to 12pm every second &
fourth Saturday of each month.
The group offers free tea coffee and
biscuits. They also have food, toiletries
and clothing for the women to help
themselves to anything they need.
More information
12 insidenews / Spring 2024 Email your news to media@westlothian.gov.uk or call 01506 282006

Delivering more council homes for rent
Colleagues in Housing continue to work hard on enhancing the
number of council homes available for rent in West Lothian with
projects well underway in Linlithgow and Livingston.
Fifteen new council homes are being built in
Linlithgow with Cala Homes East delivering
the homes on behalf of West Lothian Council
as part of their Deanburn development in
Linlithgow.
The homes will include two 3-bedroom semidetached
houses, five 2-bedroom bungalows
and eight 1-bedroom cottage flats.
Barratt Homes East Scotland are working
to deliver 33 new homes for West Lothian
Council at its Woodland Gait site on
Houstoun Road in Livingston.
The homes will include six 1-bedroom
cottage flats, twelve 2-bedroom cottage flats,
four 2-bed houses, four 2-bed bungalows
and eight 3-bedroom houses.
It is anticipated that homes across both sites
will be ready for completion in early 2026.
Both developments are funded by West
Lothian Council, with assistance from
Scottish Government grant funds to make
homes more environmentally friendly.
View our interactive map
of the council’s new build
housing programme.
Is coming to your PC soon
IT Services are preparing to migrate all council devices from the
current operating system - Windows 10 to Windows 11.
Why is this happening?
Microsoft will no longer provide updates or support
for Windows 10 from 14 October 2025.
When is it happening?
Migration of devices from W10 to W11 will start late
April through to October 2025. Corporate device
upgrades to Windows 11 are scheduled to start late
April following the Easter break.
Education (Primary/Nursery/ASN & Secondary)
device upgrades to Windows 11 are anticipated to
take place during the summer break.
How?
IT Services have agreed key contact customers
in each Service Area that have been involved in
Windows 11 testing. Corporate testing is complete.
Education testing is nearing completion.
What do I need to do?
Nothing for now.
Further communication will be released to
let you know when your device
upgrade is due to take place and
what this will mean for you.
13 insidenews / Spring 2024