210:
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bed levels have been designed to give a gravity flow through the system and also a piped bypass system. The photos here were taken in April 2009 when the reedbeds had only just begun to develop; by summer 2012 there was no sign of open water as dense vegetation was covering each of the pools. Reed harvest commenced spring 2015.
93:
241:
The settlement was to include its own community centre, pre-school facility, primary and secondary schools and commercial aspects. Though the planned 1,600 houses implies a smaller development than the
Scottish New Towns created in the sixties, this could be expanded to accommodate another 2,500 to
591:
treatment scheme for minewater, covering an area of 2.5 ha, has been constructed to the east of the natural pond at
Blindwells. It consists of a 30 m long precast concrete cascade, 1.2 m deep conditioning zone and 3 N° reed beds with associated inlet and outlet structures. The reed
253:
By
October 2023 150 houses were completed and occuppied, with 5 housing companies active, or about to commence building, on the site and plans for a new town centre had been submitted for approval. Work on the new primary school started in 2024 and it is due for completion in the Spring of 2025.
562:
Note: the main pond, a precious habitat for the above species, was completely eliminated in its existing form in the early phases of developments for the new settlement in the fourth week of August 2018, ending one of the best wildlife sites in the local area. The subsequent year has seen much
563:
expansion of the earthworks on the site, with the remaining smaller pool (to the east end of the area occupied by the former "natural" pool) still attracting many gulls, and also occasionally small numbers of wildfowl and waders, but it is now entirely "artificial" in nature.
872:
278:
There has long been a pool on the northern part of the site and this had attracted a good range of bird species as it was one of the few standing open waters in East
Lothian. Waterbirds regularly seen here included
249:
In preparation for the new town development a series of man-made earth embankments were constructed in 2009 for the purpose of settlement tests, i.e. to demonstrate that the site is stable enough to be built on.
356:*, with altogether 29 species confirmed to breed in the period 2008-2013, with 17 "probable" breeders and a further 9 "possible" breeders (using BTO Atlas classifications ). Scarcer species recorded include
245:
Older maps also show a cluster of buildings at
Riggonhead, on the bank to the south-east of the main pond, at NT416752, but all that remained were earth mounds which were frequently used by scrambler bikes.
315:
also bred in 2012 with two broods seen in 2014 and a further expansion since. Regular counts are undertaken for BTO Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) monitoring. Other characteristic birds of the site include
947:
151:
133:
233:. As of plans in 2010 it was intended that the Blindwells settlement will initially consist of around 1,600 houses, and is part of East Lothian's planned 4,800 house total.
666:
117:
159:
141:
555:, which is currently on the edge of its UK range in this part of Scotland (photo, right). The pond supported abundant amphibians, including
792:
712:
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47:
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79:
29:
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381:
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548:
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532:
413:
734:
437:
796:
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552:
492:
472:
433:
417:
369:
873:"2010 to 2015 government policy: energy industry and infrastructure licensing and regulation"
648:
571:
409:
333:
890:
575:
The
Minewater Treatment Scheme at Blindwells, soon after it was first established (3/4/11)
500:
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98:
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37:
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3,000 houses in the future, for which a total of 130 hectares were earmarked.
918:
905:
468:
464:
459:
Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet
Zygaena lonicerae, Blindwells, 18 July 2015
280:
588:
425:
365:
203:
71:
312:
284:
270:
218:
713:"Blindwells and Craighall primary schools to be complete next spring"
578:
570:
454:
269:
256:
208:
757:"Wetland Bird Survey | BTO - British Trust for Ornithology"
377:
775:"Bird Atlas 2007-11 | BTO - British Trust for Ornithology"
855:"Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Zygaena lonicerae - UKMoths"
819:"The Wildlife Information Centre - Recording at Dunglass"
690:"Blindwells town centre plans submitted for approval"
583:
Blindwells MTS, view to NE (photo dated 3 April 2011)
463:
There was rich insect fauna too with nine species of
150:
132:
116:
104:
92:
78:
64:
46:
28:
23:
229:/Tranent junction, adjacent to the estates of the
396:, a total of 18 species of wading bird including
213:The potential site for a new town in East Lothian
948:Proposed populated places in the United Kingdom
452:bred on the perimeter of the site in 2017.
8:
667:"Developers use man-made hills in land test"
649:"Blindwells, East Lothian: Tranent Housing"
274:Blindwells pool on a winter afternoon, 2011
20:
491:), together with common breeding species
471:having been recorded including the rare
618:
131:
87:
63:
735:"BIRDS IN SOUTH-EAST SCOTLAND 2007-13"
311:* (* confirmed breeding since 2008 ).
217:A former open-cast coal mine north of
553:narrow-bordered five-spot burnet moth
149:
115:
103:
91:
77:
45:
27:
7:
198:is a new town under construction in
380:(drake plus 3 redheads, Feb 2012),
843:. Butterfly Conservation Scotland.
688:Peter A. Walker (2 October 2023).
14:
384:(occasional extended presence),
711:Cameron Ritchie (28 May 2024).
653:www.edinburgharchitecture.co.uk
481:) (2nd record for Lothian) and
838:"Lothian's Newsletter Issue 3"
737:. Scottish Ornithologists Club
602:List of places in East Lothian
221:on the north-east side of the
1:
627:"New Development: Blindwells"
18:Human settlement in Scotland
964:
607:List of places in Scotland
567:Minewater treatment scheme
559:, attracting Grey Herons.
338:common grasshopper warbler
943:Geography of East Lothian
823:wildlifeinformation.co.uk
547:). There was a colony of
168:
128:
88:
793:"Home - Birding Lothian"
537:Libellula quadrimaculata
523:), and scarcer breeders
261:New houses at Blindwells
231:Earl of Wemyss and March
152:Scottish Parliament
715:. East Lothian Courier
629:. East Lothian Council
584:
576:
478:Sympetrum fonscolombii
460:
275:
262:
214:
582:
574:
517:Blue-tailed Damselfly
513:Enallagma cyathigerum
509:Common Blue Damselfly
458:
273:
260:
212:
48:Lieutenancy area
836:Tom Delaney (2012).
545:Sympetrum striolatum
398:little ringed plover
388:(18 November 2014),
80:Sovereign state
915: /
677:on 5 December 2019.
533:Four-spotted Chaser
414:black-tailed godwit
237:Proposed settlement
225:, just east of the
781:. 2 February 2018.
763:. 8 February 2018.
585:
577:
461:
438:lesser whitethroat
276:
263:
215:
134:UK Parliament
893:. 31 August 2015.
655:. 4 October 2016.
505:Coenagrion puella
493:Emerald Damselfly
473:Red-veined Darter
448:(15 March 2015);
434:common kingfisher
418:bar-tailed godwit
370:northern shoveler
193:
192:
30:Council area
955:
930:
929:
927:
926:
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920:
919:55.957°N 2.936°W
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795:. Archived from
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742:
731:
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724:
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678:
673:. Archived from
671:www.scotsman.com
663:
657:
656:
645:
639:
638:
636:
634:
623:
521:Ischnura elegans
410:spotted redshank
174:
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21:
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738:
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695:
693:
692:. insider.co.uk
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665:
664:
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647:
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642:
632:
630:
625:
624:
620:
615:
598:
569:
501:Azure Damselfly
488:Sympetrum danae
450:long-eared owls
422:short-eared owl
406:green sandpiper
362:common shelduck
268:
239:
189:
172:
164:
146:
70:
60:
42:
19:
12:
11:
5:
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959:
951:
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935:
934:
924:55.957; -2.936
897:
896:
882:
864:
859:ukmoths.org.uk
846:
828:
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799:on 16 May 2015
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703:
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442:garden warbler
402:wood sandpiper
326:common buzzard
322:common kestrel
318:grey partridge
267:
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235:
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173:List of places
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84:United Kingdom
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560:
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541:Common Darter
538:
534:
530:
529:Aeshna juncea
526:
525:Common Hawker
522:
518:
514:
510:
506:
502:
498:
497:Lestes sponsa
494:
490:
489:
484:
480:
479:
474:
470:
466:
457:
453:
451:
447:
443:
439:
435:
431:
430:common cuckoo
427:
423:
419:
415:
411:
407:
403:
399:
395:
391:
387:
383:
382:marsh harrier
379:
375:
374:greater scaup
371:
367:
363:
359:
355:
351:
347:
343:
342:sedge warbler
339:
335:
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35:
33:
31:
22:
16:
900:
891:"Blindwells"
885:
876:
867:
858:
849:
831:
822:
813:
801:. Retrieved
797:the original
787:
778:
769:
760:
751:
739:. Retrieved
729:
717:. Retrieved
706:
694:. Retrieved
683:
675:the original
670:
661:
652:
643:
631:. Retrieved
621:
586:
561:
544:
536:
528:
520:
512:
504:
496:
486:
483:Black Darter
476:
462:
394:common quail
358:little egret
354:yellowhammer
350:reed bunting
346:tree sparrow
301:little grebe
277:
252:
248:
244:
240:
216:
200:East Lothian
195:
194:
160:East Lothian
142:East Lothian
56:East Lothian
38:East Lothian
15:
922: /
779:www.bto.org
761:www.bto.org
557:smooth newt
446:water pipit
386:hen harrier
297:tufted duck
289:common teal
227:Prestonpans
937:Categories
907:55°57′25″N
613:References
330:stock dove
196:Blindwells
24:Blindwells
910:2°56′10″W
719:14 August
696:14 August
551:and also
469:damselfly
465:dragonfly
281:mute swan
118:Ambulance
596:See also
589:reed bed
549:grayling
426:barn owl
366:garganey
266:Wildlife
204:Scotland
183:Scotland
123:Scottish
111:Scottish
99:Scotland
72:Scotland
803:20 July
420:, also
334:skylark
313:Gadwall
305:moorhen
285:mallard
219:Tranent
66:Country
877:GOV.UK
741:1 June
633:1 June
539:) and
390:merlin
352:* and
307:* and
293:wigeon
94:Police
841:(PDF)
805:2015
743:2021
721:2024
698:2024
635:2021
467:and
444:and
416:and
378:smew
309:coot
106:Fire
531:),
515:),
507:),
499:),
344:*,
336:*,
320:*,
303:*,
287:*,
283:*,
206:.
939::
875:.
857:.
821:.
777:.
759:.
669:.
651:.
587:A
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432:,
428:,
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392:,
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372:,
368:,
364:,
360:,
348:,
340:,
332:,
328:,
324:,
299:,
295:,
291:,
223:A1
202:,
178:UK
879:.
861:.
825:.
807:.
745:.
723:.
700:.
637:.
543:(
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511:(
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475:(
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