Thursday October 29th 2026
Local resident and community councillor John Wellwood
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
A North Berwick resident has challenged East Lothian Council’s councillors and senior officers to explain how the controversial town parking scheme was managed, including who knew about its changing financial position and when.
John Wellwood, a local resident and community councillor, has contacted every elected East Lothian councillor and the council’s senior leadership, calling for greater transparency over the scheme’s costs and governance.
The move follows an Environmental Information Request which revealed reported capital expenditure of £1.407 million, compared with a risk-adjusted capital forecast of £541,645 presented to councillors in December 2024.
The difference of £865,161 has prompted questions about financial monitoring, expenditure authorisation and whether elected members were adequately informed.
Wellwood has published nine financial accountability briefings examining the project’s costs and management. He has also submitted two further Environmental Information Requests seeking records about how the scheme was governed and financially controlled.
The latest developments follow previous questions raised over the scheme’s financial performance, including whether parking income and penalty charge notices are meeting the forecasts presented to councillors.
In September, Wellwood questioned the council’s description of the scheme’s early parking income as “broadly in line” with its financial modelling.
He said: “Whatever the explanation, councillors and the public deserve answers.”
He also called for the council to publish the monthly forecasts used to assess the scheme’s performance alongside the actual income received.
The council’s response to Environmental Information Request 2026/ELF34048 disclosed £1,406,806.21 in capital expenditure, compared with the December 2024 forecast of £541,645.
It also reported £1,262,961.40 in payments to consultants, engineers and external advisers, which the council confirmed were excluded from the December 2024 financial model.
The figures further included forecast annual operating expenditure of £208,085.75, including £173,367.54 for staffing and £7,210 for maintenance.
A total of £69,673 in vandalism-related invoices was also disclosed, while internal council officer time spent developing and implementing the scheme was not separately costed or recorded against the project.
Combined, the capital expenditure, consultancy payments and annual operating forecast amount to almost £2.88 million. However, this is not a verified total project cost, as consultancy payments may overlap with capital expenditure and operating costs are forecasts rather than money already spent.
Wellwood said: “These figures come directly from East Lothian Council, not from speculation.
“The original financial model forecast £541,645 in capital expenditure. The Council has now reported £1.407 million. That is more than £865,000 above the original forecast.
“There may be differences in scope or accounting treatment that explain some of this. But surely the Council should already have a complete reconciliation showing what was authorised, what was spent and how the financial position changed.
“Why has the public not been given that explanation?”
Formal correspondence has been sent to every elected councillor, asking them to respond to three questions: when they were first informed of significant changes to the project’s financial position, why they might not have been told earlier, and what action they intend to take.
Wellwood is calling for councillors to support independent scrutiny, demand a complete financial reconciliation and establish who was responsible for managing the expenditure.
In previous comments to Midlothian View, he stressed that the aim of obtaining the information was to establish whether the scheme was operating as councillors and the public had been told it would.
He said: “The purpose of obtaining this information is not to make accusations before we have the evidence. It is to understand whether the scheme is operating as councillors and the public were told it would.
“Further FOI requests have been submitted and I believe the Council should publish the information needed to answer these questions clearly and transparently.”
Wellwood has now asked councillors to explain when they were informed of significant financial changes, what explanations they received and what questions they raised.
He said: “Every councillor has a responsibility to scrutinise how public money is spent.
“If councillors were told about significant financial changes, when were they told, what explanations were provided and what questions did they ask?
“If they were not told, why not? And what does that say about the Council’s financial governance?
“I am asking councillors for individual answers, not another general reassurance that everything was managed appropriately.”
Further questions have been raised about the role of the Parking Management Project Board.
East Lothian Council’s September 2023 Development Risk Register stated that a project board had been established and was meeting monthly. It also referred to staff from other council services supporting the project manager and the existence of a full project risk register.
The board related to the wider parking management programme, which included North Berwick.
Wellwood is seeking information about what financial information the board received, whether it reviewed expenditure and risks, and what was reported to senior officers and councillors.
He said: “The Council’s own records show a Project Board was meeting monthly in 2023.
“What financial information was it receiving? Was it reviewing expenditure, consultancy commitments, staffing resources and risks? Were forecasts and the business case being updated?
“And, crucially, what information was escalated to the Chief Executive, senior officers and councillors?
“The name of the Board is not important. The evidence of financial control is.”
Two further Environmental Information Requests have been submitted to the council.
One seeks records relating to project leadership, board arrangements, financial monitoring, budget authorisations, expenditure approvals and reporting to senior management and councillors.
The second focuses on project management, including business cases, revised financial forecasts, consultancy assessments, staffing plans, risk registers and project assurance reports.
Wellwood is calling on the council to publish a complete financial reconciliation, release relevant governance records, establish when significant financial changes were identified and reported, and ensure unresolved concerns receive appropriate independent financial scrutiny.
He has suggested the issues should be considered through the council’s Audit and Governance arrangements and Internal Audit, with relevant evidence brought to Audit Scotland’s attention where appropriate.
An independent review of the impact of the parking scheme was approved by councillors in August. The University of Glasgow is due to examine evidence relating to the scheme’s impact on businesses, the community and tourism, with a report expected next summer.
At the time, councillor Brooke Ritchie, Labour, defended proceeding with the review, saying: “I do not see how we can answer the questions until we move forward with the review which will follow the data, that is how research works.”
The financial questions raised by Wellwood concern the scheme’s expenditure and oversight, in addition to its wider impact.
He said: “Residents are being asked to accept higher costs and difficult decisions about Council services. Every pound of public money matters.
“I am not alleging that an unauthorised overspend or financial misconduct has been proven. But the figures are substantial, the questions are serious and the Council must demonstrate that proper financial controls were operating.
“A full year of parking income may be needed to assess the scheme’s financial performance. It is not needed to establish who authorised historical expenditure, how it was monitored and what councillors were told.
“The responsibility for providing the answers now rests with East Lothian Council.”
The nine financial accountability briefings are available online ahead of the Full Council meeting on December 8, 2026. The final briefing, titled ‘Twelve Questions Councillors Must Ask’, outlines the evidence Wellwood believes elected members should seek.
The briefings can be accessed at northberwickcommunitycouncil.org.uk/minutes/parking.
Wellwood stressed that the briefings and his statement do not represent the formal position of North Berwick Community Council.
He added: “The people who live, work and visit North Berwick have already endured the consequences of this deeply controversial scheme. But these financial questions affect every taxpayer in East Lothian.
“This has become a test of whether East Lothian Council can demonstrate competence, transparency and accountability in its use of public money.
“We have submitted the FOIs. We have published the evidence. We have written to every councillor and the Council’s senior leadership.
“Now we expect answers.”
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