Plans to merge Bonnyrigg & Lasswade and Poltonhall & Hopefield community councils progress

A 90-day consultation has begun, with residents having until Friday, May 19 to submit any written representations.

Go to www.midlothian.gov.uk/info/200284/your_community/534/community_councils/3 to take part in the consultation.

In a joint statement, the chairpersons of the community councils, Jan Irvine and John Aitchison, said: “Our aim is to reduce confusion over which community council represents the town's residents, give local people and groups one place to attend, and produce a more unified voice within the whole of the Bonnyrigg area.”

They added: “It will also help us create a single resilience co-ordination in times of difficulty and provide stronger representation to Midlothian Council and other statutory bodies.

"The community councils within the Bonnyrigg ward are comprised of people who care about their community and want to make it a better place to live.

“Both the Poltonhall and Hopefield Community Council and the Bonnyrigg and Lasswade Community Council believe that we can do this better for the people of Bonnyrigg and the surrounding area by merging into one stronger community council."