Residents in a quiet cul-de-sac in Linlithgow Bridge fear plans for a care home will shatter their peace and turn the narrow tree-lined road past their homes into an exit road used all hours of the day and night.
They had already protested against plans by Inuos Developments to build a 60-bed care home on a site occupied by GM Flooring which came before the Development Management Committee two weeks ago.
Planners had recommended granting planning permission with conditions. There were 28 objectors.
Those plans remain on hold as councillors have asked the developers to look again at parking plans for the site.
The proposals will come back to the October meeting of the DMC. Now the residents have complained to the council, suggesting that the planning department has ignored their concerns.
They say they have not had a fair hearing on parking and the size of the proposed care home which they say will loom over their own homes.
Most who live on the ground floor alongside the road are in their 80s. This quiet street was for their retirement – away from through traffic but close enough to surrounding supermarkets– on the eastern edge of Linlithgow Bridge.
Residents met with the Courier outside their homes.
They highlighted trees and shrubbery which form a boundary to their estate. They claim these are threatened by the care home plans which will see new car parking spaces created.
As one resident pointed out, the care home plans have fewer spaces than a previous application to build six homes on the site. That plan had species for 19 cars, the care home has only parking for 16.
The exit road for that development would still have gone through Broomyhill Place.
At the core of the dispute, the residents say the planners applied town centre parking rules to a site which is not town centre.
In the detailed complaint drawn up by resident Duncan Gallie, it states: “The council’s public documented standards for car parking spaces requires one space per three beds plus one space per five members of staff. A minimum of three disabled spaces is required.
“This development therefore requires 24 parking spaces to meet this standard, assuming 20 staff. There is no standard for the ratio of staff to residents due to differing demands in different types of homes.
“Accepting 20 staff is correct depends on absolutely trusting the judgement and impartial opinion of the applicant.”
It adds: “The only justification for the lower numbers would be if the home was in a town centre, it is not. The report states the area ‘acts as a town centre’. There are two problems with this. Firstly it is not a town centre, it is an area with a retail park and residential properties. The statement is not true.
“Secondly, the town centre standards do not apply to areas that only ‘act’ as a town centre.”
The complaint also raises the issue that the local community council did not receive notification of the plans, which residents say it should have done.
A spokesperson for West Lothian Council pointed out that the previous application for housing had been approved, but never followed up.
He said: “The issue with the community council is that they changed the secretary and didn’t tell us. It was, however, not our fault. In the end they were told, objected and then attended the meeting.”
He added: “Officers have never claimed that the site is within the town centre. The committee report considered by members of the Development Management Committee sets out that: whilst the site does not lie within a town centre location, it is immediately adjacent to the designated ‘Commercial Centre’ which acts as a town centre with a combination of residential and shop uses, including a supermarket. The Commercial Centre designation is shown in the adopted West Lothian Local Development Plan.
“The report goes on to state that the site also lies on Falkirk Road with access to bus routes running within and through the town. In view of this the council’s roads and transportation engineers conclude that the site meets the [parking] requirements for a town centre location.
“All those making representations on the application, including the community council, were offered the opportunity to make their concerns known direct to committee. Those who chose to do so were afforded five minutes to make their case in line with normal procedures for Development Management Committee.
“Following consideration of these matters the committee continued the application for a number of reasons including to allow for further consideration of the options to increase parking provision within the site, and proposals for signage to discourage parking in the adjacent residential areas.”
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