Planning

A Vision for Linlithgow 2005 - 2015

Update - August 2006

Further to last December's formal submission of the Vision for Linlithgow document to West Lothian Council, in support of the Civic Trust's objection to the West Lothian Local Plan, the Trust was represented at the pre-inquiry meeting which was held in the County Buildings on 27 April 2006 - at this meeting the Reporters explained the procedures to be adopted with regard to hearing objections at the Public Local Inquiry into the West Lothian Local Plan.

It was made clear at the meeting that 'the status of written submission objections is no different from those that are to be heard at the inquiry. It is therefore not necessary for parties to attend the inquiry to ensure that full account is taken of their point of view'. In view of this, and following a meeting with Council planners, it was decided that it would be best for the Trust to rely on its written submissions (the Vision for Linlithgow), supplemented by a further statement summarising the Vision document's contents and expanding on certain matters including:

  • The reason why the Civic Trust did not object to the Edinburgh and Lothians Structure Plan
  • The basic view that Linlithgow Civic Trust is opposed to new development in, or adjacent to, the town, unless it is firmly linked to tangible and comprehensive community benefits
  • The fact that the direct link between large-scale housing development and local 'planning gain' on the lines envisaged may not be available in the long term
  • The undesirability of the Council's current practice of using schools capacity, rather than sound environmental planning reasons, as the determining factor as to whether or not development will take place
  • The minimal impact that the 'High Street By-Pass' proposal to the north of the loch would have on the landscape, especially as compared to the care home recently approved at Bonnytoun Farm Road
  • The Trust's strong opposition to any 'greenfield' housing proposals which included development within any of the Areas of Great Landscape Value, 'Green Wedges' and development-free areas identified in the Proposals Map in the Trust's Vision; which envisaged that non-denominational primary or secondary education for new residents would be provided outwith Linlithgow; or which were of insufficient scale to provide enough land value to tackle all of the town's identified needs in a comprehensive manner.

As discussed at the Trust's Annual General Meeting in April, a summary of the 'Vision' has been distributed to all (or nearly all) households in Linlithgow over the past two months, to keep residents informed as well as giving them the opportunity to join the Trust and/or participate in the activities of Burgh Beautiful. The many Trust members who undertook the distribution of the 5,000+ leaflets are very much to be thanked for their efforts. It is good to report that nearly all the costs of printing, etc have been recouped through the subscription fees and publication purchases of new members (see Membership Report), but perhaps more significant from the Trust's point of view is that no expression of dissent from the Trust's Vision has been received.

We now await the Reporters' verdict on the Civic Trust's Vision document. No doubt, we will have to wait quite some time as their deliberations are unlikely to start until after the end of the public inquiry - presently programmed to last from 8 August to 13 October 2006.