Julia Murphy Shows The Way Ahead for The Coeval /Auld Fowler's HQ

Youngsters Can See The Future Herr Lidl, How About You?

The Prestoungrange Arts Festival invited youngsters around The Pans to paint their own ideas of how the Coeveal/ Auld Fowler's HQ might look once 'The EH32 9 Community Right To Buy' can be exercised. Julia Murphy, aged 12, was the winner of the £100 prize and here shows her impression of the back of the art deco building towards the Forth.

click to enlarge


Over 800 people have now signed up to support the campaign to preserve and revitalise the historic building which now also involves an application to the Scottish Government under Community Right to Buy laws.

The Lidl supermarket chain owns the building and asked East Lothian Council for planning permission to demolish it and build houses in its place in November 2007.

When the Prestoungrange Arts Festival launched the design competition earlier this year it said it wanted to encourage youngsters to come up with ideas for how the building and the land around it could be used for the future good of the community.

Julia Murphy was thrilled with her success and said: “I think it would be brilliant to have an arts centre here which could run all sorts of classes and events.

“The building is also in a really nice spot, right next to the sea, and I think we should use the space outside as well. I’m hoping that some of my ideas might actually happen here some day if Lidl is not allowed to knock down the building.”

Tom Ewing, who is spearheading the Community Right to Buy campaign, added: “Julia's designs are excellent and should inspire the Council Planners and the local Councillors to think about what the Prestonpans community actually wants to see on this site.

“Sometimes Lidl sells great art materials. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if instead of destroying this old building they agreed to sell it to us for a reasonable price. They could become the main sponsor of the new arts centre – The Lidl Community Arts Centre.