500 signatures reached
To: West Lothian Council
Protect Almondell Country Park & Drumshoreland Greenbelt
Please support our objections to application 0210/P/21 – proposal for Drumshoreland Road (Drumshoreland Gardens) for a 58ha mixed use development Grid Reference: 308670, 668900
0206/P/21 – proposal for Drumshoreland Road (Drumshoreland Gardens) for a 108ha mixed use development Grid Reference: 308670, 668900
0206/P/21 – proposal for Drumshoreland Road (Drumshoreland Gardens) for a 108ha mixed use development Grid Reference: 308670, 668900
Why is this important?
The development of this land will be against the wishes of most of the residents in surrounding villages, people who use the recreational greenspace at Almondell and Calder Wood Country Park and those surrounding localities whose quality of life will be negatively impacted by the proposed development
Our objections surround the following areas:
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
We believe there will be a significant negative impact on local wildlife and other flora and fauna. There are many species of wildlife in this area, including bird species, deer, bats, hares, and several large badger sets, and this is expected to grow further as wildlife in other localities are pushed out of their current habitats as current and agreed housing developments are built and become more established.
We are aware of, contrary to the Ecologist report submitted, several protected and endangered species who reside in this area, including Skylarks and Song Thrushes who are placed on the RSPB Red Conservation List.
Furthermore, we believe a colony of bats (likely Pipistrelles) have taken residence at the abandoned Broadacres Farm
There is only one sewage plant at Mid Calder to service the whole area and with the increase in the Calderwood Development, Uphall Station Village Development and other developments are already increasing pressure, and the plant is struggling to cope. It is well documented that the area has had several significant spillages in the River Almond, this is being monitored by SEPA and Scottish Water.
HIGHWAYS SAFETY
The additional traffic flows caused by this development will exacerbate existing issues on the A89, which is currently at a standstill during peak periods. The proposed development will also impact the A71 and possibly the Newbridge Roundabout, and is likely to be exacerbated when the Uphall Station, Calderwood and Bangour developments are built
Most traffic for the area, including heavy good vehicles will need to use the newly constructed Cawburn Road – a secondary Level 1 route - as designated by West Lothian Council and the developer has indicated the build has potential
LOCAL IMPACT
The build would have significant impact on current residents living in the Clapperton Hall, Almondell, Drumshoreland, Pumpherston, Roman Camps and Mid/East Calder and Uphall Station; The proposal is large and significant, it would not be in keeping with the existing settlement character in this area and is not included in the Local Development Plan.
Drumshoreland is not sustainable in terms of its connectivity to existing public transport links, reliance of a car to access - an already overstretched- train service into Edinburgh or Glasgow being highly likely.
Facilities in terms of medical and educational are overstretched and lack of resources in immediate surrounding localities are seriously lacking; for example Pumpherston does not have a community building and was identified as lacking in green space areas for residents
Furthermore, the purpose of the countryside belt designation is described in the local plan as preventing coalescence with other settlements (policy ENV 23 – Countryside belts). This is expanded on in the proposed local development plan to include the strategic purposes of maintaining the separate identity and visual separation of settlements, protecting the landscape setting of settlements, promoting public access to green space for informal recreation and enhancing landscape and wildlife habitat. Policy ENV 7 (Countryside belts and settlement setting) of the proposed local development plan states that development would not be permitted where the criteria in policies ENV 1 to ENV 7 are not met, any of the strategic purposes listed are undermined or the proposal would give rise to visual or physical coalescence.
We believe that the proposal to build on this area of countryside belt would result in the actual coalescence of these localities with their neighbouring settlements and would therefore seriously detract from their own unique identities significantly reducing the physical and visual separation of each settlement.
Contrary to reports the proposed build does not protect the greenbelt or improve the local country park, or enhance recreational use, it could only have an unacceptable adverse impact on the landscape setting of the whole area and would therefore be contrary to policies ENV 2 and ENV 4.
Our objections surround the following areas:
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
We believe there will be a significant negative impact on local wildlife and other flora and fauna. There are many species of wildlife in this area, including bird species, deer, bats, hares, and several large badger sets, and this is expected to grow further as wildlife in other localities are pushed out of their current habitats as current and agreed housing developments are built and become more established.
We are aware of, contrary to the Ecologist report submitted, several protected and endangered species who reside in this area, including Skylarks and Song Thrushes who are placed on the RSPB Red Conservation List.
Furthermore, we believe a colony of bats (likely Pipistrelles) have taken residence at the abandoned Broadacres Farm
There is only one sewage plant at Mid Calder to service the whole area and with the increase in the Calderwood Development, Uphall Station Village Development and other developments are already increasing pressure, and the plant is struggling to cope. It is well documented that the area has had several significant spillages in the River Almond, this is being monitored by SEPA and Scottish Water.
HIGHWAYS SAFETY
The additional traffic flows caused by this development will exacerbate existing issues on the A89, which is currently at a standstill during peak periods. The proposed development will also impact the A71 and possibly the Newbridge Roundabout, and is likely to be exacerbated when the Uphall Station, Calderwood and Bangour developments are built
Most traffic for the area, including heavy good vehicles will need to use the newly constructed Cawburn Road – a secondary Level 1 route - as designated by West Lothian Council and the developer has indicated the build has potential
LOCAL IMPACT
The build would have significant impact on current residents living in the Clapperton Hall, Almondell, Drumshoreland, Pumpherston, Roman Camps and Mid/East Calder and Uphall Station; The proposal is large and significant, it would not be in keeping with the existing settlement character in this area and is not included in the Local Development Plan.
Drumshoreland is not sustainable in terms of its connectivity to existing public transport links, reliance of a car to access - an already overstretched- train service into Edinburgh or Glasgow being highly likely.
Facilities in terms of medical and educational are overstretched and lack of resources in immediate surrounding localities are seriously lacking; for example Pumpherston does not have a community building and was identified as lacking in green space areas for residents
Furthermore, the purpose of the countryside belt designation is described in the local plan as preventing coalescence with other settlements (policy ENV 23 – Countryside belts). This is expanded on in the proposed local development plan to include the strategic purposes of maintaining the separate identity and visual separation of settlements, protecting the landscape setting of settlements, promoting public access to green space for informal recreation and enhancing landscape and wildlife habitat. Policy ENV 7 (Countryside belts and settlement setting) of the proposed local development plan states that development would not be permitted where the criteria in policies ENV 1 to ENV 7 are not met, any of the strategic purposes listed are undermined or the proposal would give rise to visual or physical coalescence.
We believe that the proposal to build on this area of countryside belt would result in the actual coalescence of these localities with their neighbouring settlements and would therefore seriously detract from their own unique identities significantly reducing the physical and visual separation of each settlement.
Contrary to reports the proposed build does not protect the greenbelt or improve the local country park, or enhance recreational use, it could only have an unacceptable adverse impact on the landscape setting of the whole area and would therefore be contrary to policies ENV 2 and ENV 4.
