East Lothian Courier | News | New homes could overload services

Friday, 16th May, 2008

Published: Thursday, 17th April, 2008 08:15

New homes could overload services

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HADDINGTON’S creaking infrastructure will be close to breaking point, if 750 new homes are built at Letham Mains.

The warning comes from East Lothian MSP Iain Gray, who believes the limited public utilities and transport network of the county town will be unable to cope with any further new-build projects.

Cala Homes, AWG Residential and Taylor Woodrow Developments have drawn up plans for 750 houses on a site between Letham and Burnside.

The land has been zoned for housing by East Lothian Council to comply with the Edinburgh and Lothians Structure Plan requirements for the town to 2015.

Councillors have also backed the recommendation of Local Plan inquiry reporter Iain Lumsden not to safeguard land for a further 250 houses on an adjacent site to the south-west.

Haddington resident Mr Gray, a proponent of new settlements like that proposed for Blindwells near Tranent, outlined his concerns during his first official visit to the town’s community council.

Asked by group chair Jan Wilson how many more new housing developments could Haddington take, Scotland’s shadow secretary for finance and sustainable growth, replied: “I think very few.

“I would have thought that the number of additional homes proposed at Letham Mains would take us very close to capacity.

“You can’t just simply say no more houses. It is how it is done that’s most important.

“That is why I believe a new settlement at Blindwells is a good option, because it will have its own sense of community with its own services, GP surgeries and schools etc, instead of running the risk of diluting existing town services.”

Mr Gray added: “I suspect Letham Mains will be unsustainable (in the short term).

“In the longer term I hope it will be sustainable.

“The longer term situation is that people will want or need more houses.

“I don’t see any way out of stopping that, so we need to have ways of maintaining and improving services.

“I don’t see the alternative. The pressure and the demand is there and the houses have to go somewhere.”

The MSP told his audience during an hour-long question and answer session that there was plenty of room for improvement when it came to Haddington’s existing public transport links.

Mr Gray, who frequently commutes to the Scottish Parliament by bus, said: “I spend quite a lot of my time trying to improve public transport and I have met with First Bus on a number of occasions about issues in East Lothian.

“I use their bus service to Haddington from Edinburgh.

“It is quite a good service during the rush hour, but if you are trying to get back to Haddington late at night its a much poorer service.

“ I have always been in favour of restoring a rail service to Haddington.

“I live in Haddington and I find it frustrating that people in Prestonpans, Longniddry and wherever can travel into Edinburgh on the train. The difficulty is that the Haddington track has gone.”

Community councillor Bob Oliver said resignedly: “The fact they have taken the tracks up and built the A1 there has completely screwed up any chance of the railway coming back to Haddington.”

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