A FORMER hospital could be turned into affordable housing for older people under newly-revealed plans.
Herdmanflat Hospital shut its doors in 2020 when all services were moved to the nearby East Lothian Community Hospital.
East Lothian Council purchased the site from NHS Lothian and has been working to draw up proposals to breathe new life into the more than 5.5-hectare site.
Now, a three-month consultation has opened when members of the public will get the chance to have their say on the early plans.
Wendy McGuire, head of housing at the local authority, encouraged people to get in touch.
She said: “We have always been aware that future development needs to be done in a sensitive manner, taking into account the unique nature of the site including its size, location, listed buildings and existing green space and mature trees, which we know is important to the local community.
“Detailed investigative work has been completed to understand how best to bring forward proposals that maintain the integrity and heritage of the site whilst also strengthening its role as a valued community asset.
“Our initial proposals focus on agreeing a masterplan for the development which will hopefully see much needed affordable housing for older people as well as the opportunity to meet the needs of the wider community within East Lothian.
“We are looking at a mix of affordable new build and refurbished properties that will assist in meeting East Lothian’s growing demand and I would urge anyone with an interest in the site to get involved in the consultation process.”
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A medical facility on the site, off the town’s Aberlady Road, dates back to the 1860s.
It takes its name from Herdmanflat Farm, which was once on the site.
Over the past two years, the council’s housing service has been working closely with East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership to look at the likely levels of demand for housing for older people.
During that time, the council has completed necessary grounds maintenance, demolition of non-listed buildings and asbestos removal, as well as tackling anti-social behaviour on the site as community officers and community wardens carried out regular patrols.
The consultation runs until April 10 and all views collected or submitted over the three months will be considered prior to a formal planning application being lodged later this spring.
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At that point, interested parties will again have the opportunity to comment.
A consultation event will be held in Haddington Primary School from 5-8pm on January 24, with a similar event on January 27 in the town’s Trinity Centre from 2-5pm.
Feedback from those two events will then be weighed up before two more consultation events are held in February.
The first meeting takes place in the Trinity Centre on February 24 from 2-5pm, with another drop-in event in the primary school, on Neilson Park Road, on February 28 from 5-8pm.
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