A BID to stop housing being built on a popular woodland has been rejected by East Lothian councillors, after developers said that it had only received a "very low number of objections".
Plans for nearly 150 affordable homes on the former Herdmanflat Hospital site in Haddington had faced objections from local residents, with hundreds signing a petition to save part of the site last year.
However, a meeting of East Lothian Council’s petitions committee today heard that the original petition had been withdrawn after project developer Hub South East objected to some of its wording and a new one had only gathered 43 signatures in time to be submitted for consideration.
And it heard from Martin Henman, from Hub South East, that the number of objections lodged to the plans through its statutory process was even lower – 38.
READ MORE: Plans lodged for up to 145 homes at Herdmanflat Hospital
Mr Henman told the committee: “That is deemed to be a very low number of objections for an application of the size of Herdmanflat.”
Friends of Herdmanflat Hospital and Haddington Central Tenants and Residents Association joined forces to bring a petition to the council demanding a halt to the plans and more public consultation.
The petitioners argued that many local residents did not know about the plans for the site until a planning application was lodged for the housing last year.
They said that, when people did become aware, a petition was circulated which drew 300 signatures, with a further 400 lodged online; however, it was withdrawn after the developers objected.
The petition before the committee had far fewer signatures because of the speed at which it had to be pulled together, the committee heard.
Stuart Pe-Win, who represented the petition on behalf of residents, said that locals had been concerned by the apparent speed at which the plans had been put forward for public consultation and then lodged with the council.
He said that local community groups should have been consulted about what they wanted to see on the site before housing proposals were drawn up.
The petition before the committee said: “We call on East Lothian Council and developers to halt their current plans for the redevelopment of the Herdmanflat site.
“We request that they restart the consultation phase and allow the local community to have a more significant influence on decisions regarding the future of the site.”
The committee heard that there had been a number of public meetings sparked by the housing plan, with local residents keen to see woodland – which had developed on the site since the hospital moved to new facilities – retained.
However, a report to the committee from its housing services said that reducing the proposed 145 housing units to retain the woods identified by the petition would make the development unviable.
Mr Henman told the committee that the NHS had intended to sell the site for housing when the new East Lothian Community Hospital opened and it was vacated.
READ MORE: Bid to save 'green lung' at former Herdmanflat Hospital
He said that it was earmarked in the council’s Local Development Plan for housing and could have been sold to a private developer but instead was sold at a discounted rate to the local authority with a condition from health bosses that it was used for affordable housing for older people.
Mr Henman said: “It was sold with a condition the site would be used to support future health-related services, in partnership with health and social care, and would provide housing options for older people.”
The committee heard that 100 per cent of the homes would be affordable and were likely to be rented to older people through the council or partner social landlords.
Councillor Norman Hampshire, committee member and council leader, said that objectors to the housing plans would be able to lodge their concerns as part of the planning process and rejected the petition’s call to halt the proposals.
He said: “I do accept the objectors are concerned and that this is a large green space that will be changed into affordable housing; however, the process we are going through allows the public to express their opinion.”
The committee unanimously agreed to reject the petition.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel