West Lothian dad has spoken out against proposed plans for a new housing development.
Born and raised in Whitburn, Scott Cuthbert, 51, told how he has seen his community grow and change over the years while facilities for the local people decline.
Last week, West Lothian Council cautiously welcomed plans for over 300 houses to be built at the western end of Bents and Stoneyburn, despite objections. While Scott recognises the need for more housing, he argues the support for the growing population is simply not there.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, the warehouse worker said: “Most of the villages in the West Lothian area are now having these developments added to the outskirts but unfortunately, they don’t increase the services needed to support them.
“I have lived in Whitburn all my life and I can see my community and demographic changing from when I was in my 20s. It is double the size now.
“But the doctor surgeries are pushed to the max already, you’re waiting weeks for an appointment. In Fauldhouse the local dentist closed and then those patients were moved elsewhere.
“My partner was told she would have to go to Bathgate. Luckily, she managed to get a dentist in Whitburn. But even I had to wait two years to get a dentist.”
“But how can you encourage more people, families specifically to move here when there is nothing to support them? The Xcite facilities have closed, and there’s really nothing for the kids to do. Some nurseries in West Lothian were said to be closing too.”
In August, West Lothian Council chiefs warned nine council nurseries could close by the end of June next year to remove ‘hundreds of surplus places’, including St Joseph’s in Whitburn – which would be the closest nursery to the Stoneyburn development.
“What are they meant to do when doctors, dentists and nurseries are already at capacity and people from other villages are being pushed to Whitburn, Harthill or Bathgate,” Scott continued.
The 51-year-old also raised his concerns over the knock-on-effect the lack of facilities in the community could have on young people.
He said: “I have a 13-year-old son, and we’re lucky we can pay for clubs for him to go to and take him places. But not every parent can do that. It’s like the wild west here and the kids have no fear of the police.
“It feels like these communities, like Whitburn, the population is growing, it’s developing but the facilities have stayed the same for the last 30 years. It’s not growing with us.”
A West Lothian Council spokesperson said: “Every housing development is individually assessed against planning legislation before a decision is made. Councils are expected to ensure a regular supply of land for housing is available to meet agreed national and local targets of delivering new homes.
“The council can seek to refuse housing applications where it does not think it is appropriate. However, developers can appeal to the Scottish Government’s reporter to overturn the decision to refuse.
“This recently happened for an application for new homes near Cannop Crescent, Stoneyburn, which was refused by the council, but granted by the Scottish Government’s reporter on appeal, as has happened at several other locations across West Lothian recently.
“Regarding health services, the council does not own or operate GP surgeries or dentists. We are currently developing a Local Development Plan 2 and as part of this process are consulting with NHS Lothian to ensure that suitable developer contributions can be sought where there is a shortage of physical building capacity to deliver health services.
“Until the council has the required evidence of any building requirements from NHS Lothian, we cannot take any financial contributions from developers. This would also only allow us to seek contributions to deliver physical buildings, and not address any potential shortage of trained staff required to deliver health services, such as GPs or dentists.
“West Lothian Council is expected to have made £0.2 billion worth of savings by 2028, as the funding we receive from the Scottish Government is not enough to keep up with the increasing costs of delivering essential services for local residents. It is not possible for the council to deliver the same services as in the past without the same level of funding.”
Finance Secretary Shona Robison said: “It is up to individual local authorities to manage their day-to-day decision-making and allocate the total financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities.
“We recognise the crucial role councils and their employees play in communities across Scotland. That’s why this year the Scottish Government has made available £428.7m to West Lothian Council, an extra £23.8m or 5.9% compared with the previous year.”
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