Councillors have backed plans for a new 60 bed care home in Linlithgow, the second such facility agreed in the last year for the town.
The Development Management Committee approved proposals by Morrison Community Care to build the care home and 18 flats on a vacant site on Edinburgh Road in the town.
The site was once occupied by a filling station but has lain derelict for some time. A previous planning application had been granted for flats on the site.
The site lies just outside the Linlithgow Upper and Union Canal Conservation Area to the south and opposite 4 traditional semi-detached houses at Greenpark Cottages. The proposed buildings at the nearest point lie within 30m of the converted Category B listed buildings at the former St Magdalene’ s distillery.
The care home fronts landscaped areas at the entrance to St Magdalenes whilst the flats lie opposite Greenpark Cottages.
A report to the committee detailed: “The care home presents a 3-storey frontage to Edinburgh Road and 4-storey to the rear as it faces the railway line. The roof will be pitched and run the length of the building.
“The block of 18 mainstream 2-bedroom flats to the east of the care home is designed with a 4-storey frontage to Edinburgh Road and 5-storey to the rear. The block consists of 4 flats per floor on the upper level and 2 flats at the basement level to the rear.”
Neighbours were concerned that the new development would put more water and run-off into an already under pressure sewerage system.
However a flood risk engineer employed by the developers said that the home would lead to a “betterment“ of the existing sewerage by controlling the outflow of water run-off from both the care home and the nearby distillery building.
The local community council had opposed the development on the grounds of the potential impact it would have on patient lists. Hans Edgington from the council told the meeting: “We have concerns of the effect it will have on the GP practice . A year ago this committee approved a care home on Falkirk Road that was a 60 bed care home The applicant for this site uses the same demand requirement,
“Should that care home be built aren’t we then creating a provision that is larger than the requirement for the area.”
He added that if you phone the group medical practice to make a regular appointment “the answer is you’ll have to wait at least four weeks.”
He said: “Should this and the other care home be built they will have a statutory duty to do rounds. What is the acceptable time for the rest of Linlithgow to see a GP?”.
Last year however the local West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership has supported the Morrison proposals for the new care home.
A care manager with Morrisons explained: “We engaged with Linlithgow medical practice early on, and in other areas we have worked with medical practices to address any concerns over the increase to a workload we have discussed retainers to be able to address that additional demand. With the care home there is always a nurse on duty to assess residents’ needs.”
by Stuart Somerville Local Democracy Reporter
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
