Planning

Trust Policy On New Housing Development In Linlithgow

Introduction

The following is Linlithgow Civic Trust's general policy on new housing development in the town, as published in the Linlithgow Gazette on 6 June 2003, and as reaffirmed at general meetings of the Trust since 2000. This statement will accompany all comments to West Lothian Council with regard to planning applications the approval of which would have implications for public services, infrastructure and congestion in the town.

Policy Statement

 Linlithgow Civic Trust's main aim is 'to preserve and enhance the town's unique and distinctive character' and one of the main ways of achieving this has been through supporting planning policies which impose restraint on the town's growth. About ten years ago, in general terms, Linlithgow had achieved a fair balance between completed housing and the provision of educational and other services, but, during the preparation of the town's Local Plan in the mid 90's, a considerable amount of extra development slipped through (Grange View/Knowe, Clark Avenue/Avalon Gardens, Kettilstoun Grove/Crescent, etc), plus other more recent housing on land sold off by the Council at Braehead and Kildimmery).

As a result, the schools have become over-subscribed and traffic congestion in the High Street has increased to unacceptable levels, while public investment in facilities such as new social-rented housing and the Burgh Halls has not been forthcoming. The Council is now using the lack of educational capacity as a crude means of controlling housing development in Linlithgow at a time when house prices are rising, creating a high residential 'hope value' for practically every commercial/industrial site in the town. This, much to the dismay of Linlithgow Civic Trust, could mean an increase and perpetuation of property dereliction, as already seen at Falkirk Road, for many years to come, because even a small trickle of new family houses, such as that recently approved at Westerlea, will mean continued schools overcrowding.

After much deliberation, the Civic Trust has, for a number of years, been of the view that this position is unsustainable and that inevitable large-scale growth should be properly planned and managed, with a clear link between extra housing development and community benefit to the people of Linlithgow. The Trust has stated to the Council that no expansion whatsoever beyond the present town boundaries would be acceptable unless it formed part of a comprehensive plan which forced the developers to carry out works which would allow for such things as:

  • adequate primary and secondary educational capacity
  • a four-way junction at Burghmuir
  • traffic reductions in, and environmental improvements to, the High Street
  • full-scale improvements to the Burgh Halls (and possibly acquisition/restoration of the Victoria Hall to form a local theatre)
  • the construction of enough social-rented housing to cater for the needs of the community.

The continued determination of piecemeal planning applications for the hundreds of houses in the pipeline cannot solve any of the town's problems and will only worsen them. Dereliction and stagnation seem likely to be the inevitable consequences of refusing planning applications for housing on the many sites where residential 'hope value' has been created. The Civic Trust considers that the Council should reconsider its position on further residential development in Linlithgow and the likely consequences thereof.

Ronald P A Smith, Chairman
Linlithgow Civic Trust
June 2003