What we do
What are Community Councils?
Community Councils bridge the gap between local authorities and communities, and help to make public bodies aware of the opinions and needs of the communities they represent. Their primary purpose is to ascertain and express the views of the community to the local authority and other public bodies. Community Councils have a statutory right to be consulted on major planning applications.
There are currently around 1200 Community Councils in Scotland, all of which are composed of elected volunteers from the community.
Click on the following links to view the Midlothian Council and Scottish Government website pages on Community Councils. Please read the documents on these pages if you wish to stand for election as a Community Councillor
The Links will open a new window on your computer
Midlothian Council - Community Councils
Scottish Government - Community Councils
Your Community Council
Your Poltonhall and Hopefield Community Councillors are all elected unpaid volunteers who offer their time and commitment to our community.
Poltonhall and Hopefield Community Councillors, have no business, religious or political agendas. We have a simple aim which is to preserve what is good in the community and improve whatever is not.
Poltonhall and Hopefield Community Council is consulted by The Scottish Government, Midlothian Council, The Police, and numerous public and charitable organisations on all matters affecting Poltonhall and District, such as major planning applications, roads and traffic, transport, education, health, environmental and community issues.
Our responses to the local authority are informed by consultations with developers, public community consultations held by developers, and views received from residents on these consultations. All our responses to major planning applications and Local Development Plans reflect the information gathered during these processes.
If you are unable to attend PHCC meetings, or any of these consultations, please email or call us to let us know your views. Your views inform the responses we submit to Midlothian Council. We also work in close partnership with, and support, all our local community groups and organisations.
We have 11 meetings per year, except in July, in the Lasswade Centre. You’ll find dates and times here. All of these meetings are open to the public and we invite all residents to come along and have their say.
Elections are held every 3 years, and residents of Poltonhall and Hopefield, aged 18 or over, who are named on the electoral roll, can stand for election.
Our Community Police Officers and Local Councillors all attend our meetings to give their reports and discuss any issues residents wish to raise. The Police will update you on the Poltonhall Crime Statistics and Local Councillors will keep you aware of what’s going on in Midlothian Council.
Occasionally, we have guest speakers on topics such as new housing developments, consultations, local issues, etc.
Developers are required to consult Community Councils prior to submitting major planning applications. We always invite them along to Community Council meetings so that you can meet them face to face and ask them questions on how any new developments may affect you.
Why not come along to our next meeting and see for yourself what we do. You can either sit in the audience and just listen, or let us know if there’s anything at all we can assist you with that will help make community life better for you. Our meetings are quite informal and we’ll make you very welcome.
If you’d like to join our mailing list we will email you advance notice of meetings, agendas, minutes of meetings, plus notification of planning applications and important community issues. If there are any community issues you would like to discuss please contact us via email
