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Planners back 'care village' on green belt land near ERI

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Published Date: 10 January 2009
By CHRIS MARSHALL
THE creation of a 170-home "care village" is set to get the go-ahead on the site of a ruined stately home next to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, despite objections from local residents and Midlothian Council.
The self-contained village, complete with sheltered apartments and a health centre, is to be built in the derelict Edmonstone estate grounds at Little France.

Planners are also set to give the green light to a care home, which will be built within a walled garden at the estate.

But objections have been raised by both local residents and Midlothian Council, who say the developments would lead to a loss of the green belt.

The village will sit next to a £30 million private hospital off Old Dalkeith Road, which developers Boskabelle already have planning permission to build on.

In a report going before councillors on Wednesday, the city council's head of planning, John Bury, says the additional housing development is needed to meet the demands of Edinburgh's ageing population. There is predicted to be a 57 per cent rise in the number of older people in Edinburgh requiring intensive care in the next ten years, with the number of those living past the age of 65 set to rise by 13 per cent.

Apartments built on the site would be marketed to independent elderly people and those needing care. But Midlothian Council has objected to the development, which would see the construction of three-storey buildings up to 100m in height.

Planning officials had previously rejected plans for a three-storey care home in a walled garden at the site, arguing it would spoil the green belt.

But an exception has now been made because the development would contribute to a campus of care facilities at Little France.

Local Labour councillor Ian Murray said

"I very much welcome these plans. There are concerns about the loss of green belt, but all in all it's a good package.

"The trade-off is that the developers will be responsible for getting the public space up to a suitable level for the public to use."

The applications for the care home and the care village will go before councillors on the development management sub-committee on Wednesday.

The plans will ultimately need to be approved by Scottish Government ministers because of the green belt issue.

Midlothian Council declined to comment.


Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 10 January 2009 10:58 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
 
1

Logie Almond,

10/01/2009 12:30:18
Sad to see a Labour councillor supporting a private healthcare development in the Green Belt.
2

brandy al,

embra 10/01/2009 12:37:28
We have lost enough green belt,why cant they build this at Ocean Terminal,lovely view.
3

Havelock Vetinari,

leith 10/01/2009 13:56:08
Three storey buildings at 100m in height ??????

Them's some pretty high ceilings....... indoor pole-vaulting anyone ?
4

Charles Linskaill,

Edinburgh 10/01/2009 14:51:55



Absolutly Useless!,
All they will do, is charge exorbant prices for parking your car!
We have all heard the lies before, on how out-off-town, developments are for the good,
The good for who?
The good for profit making parking!

5

keit011,

10/01/2009 16:53:34
there must be land inside edinburgh for this once they build on green belt its gone for good,
6

savant,

10/01/2009 18:11:27
I like the idea of preserving the woodland there mentioned in the Planning Application.
http://tinyurl.com/6wctgh
The history of this estate is typical of the ruin of landed estates in this part of town.

It does suffer from trespass and vandalism. I used to be unknowingly guilty of the first, drawn there by the fine collection of trees. Craigmillar was wide open then and it would have been ideal if the space became public.

Here's a picture of the proposed hospital and care homes.
http://www.edinburgharchitecture.co.uk/edmonstone_house_hospital.htm
7

EnEm,

EDINBURGH 11/01/2009 01:40:29
savant. Here's a more realistic vision of the proposal:
http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/731/edmonstonehhama06maontamg1.jpg
8

Whopitt,

Edinburgh 11/01/2009 19:40:10
Green Belt is just land that hasn't been built on yet. Once it is safely in the hands of a speculative developer and suitably fundky-dunky designs have been produced by one of the usual band of starchitects, a compliant council will nod it through - for the usual contibution to the tram fund or some other "planning gain".
9

AB's,

12/01/2009 10:51:48
''We have lost enough green belt,why cant they build this at Ocean Terminal,lovely view''

Because it is clear that they want this near to the hospital as it says in the artical that there will be a rise in the elderly who require hospital treatment.

It will be sad to lose a bit of the Green belt but at the end of the day if a family member of mine required the hospital/new home/care... i would be extremely thankful for such a place near the hospital.

 

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