East Lothian Courier | News | Residents set to vote on £3m health centre bid

Thursday, 24th July, 2008

Published: Thursday, 1st May, 2008 08:05

Residents set to vote on £3m health centre bid

RESIDENTS in Gullane and Aberlady are to be given the chance to vote on a controversial proposal for a new £3 million multi-purpose health facility – part of a deal that would also lead to new housing to the east of Gullane.

Gullane Area Community Council heard last Thursday that a postal ballot of 5,000 residents is planned to judge public feelings towards the plans – which link a new Gullane day centre and doctors’ surgery with the construction of about 100 houses on fields opposite Duncar Road, Muirfield Steading and Fentoun Gait.

Dr Charles Cusworth, who has worked at Gullane’s Broadgait Green surgery for the past 15 years, said at last week’s meeting: “We want this to be the kind of decision that can be made by local people.

“Obviously, this development could not go ahead if the general public were not in favour of it.

“What we are considering is a postal ballot of the area and have been in talks with the Electoral Reform Society.

“We would ballot every house in Gullane and Aberlady.”

The cost of running the ballot would be £4,000.

“We’ve discussed this with the health board and they’re prepared to help us with funding that,” he added.

Response to the proposal has been mixed, with some residents accusing the developers – acting on behalf of Macmerry-based Hart Builders Ltd – of holding villagers and doctors “to ransom”.

Residents want a new health centre but many are unhappy that the deal is dependent on new housing for finance.

Gullane Day Centre volunteers and the team of three doctors based at the village practice insist that the current “dated” facilities are unable to provide adequate services for Gullane and the surrounding villages’ rapidly growing population.

Paula Jackson, depute chairman of Gullane Day Centre’s management committee, agreed with Dr Cusworth’s views and said: “We are victims of our own success – we’ve struggled from day one but we’ve managed to keep the day centre open.

“But we can’t do it any longer. We need a lot more space.”

GACC chairman George Fraser replied that community councillors were conducting their own research into the proposals and planned to hold a meeting with Gerry Power, chairman of East and Midlothian Community Health Partnership.

“Our initial thought was that we wouldn’t want to hold a public meeting until we know exactly what we were putting before the public,” said Mr Fraser, whose initial reaction to the proposal was that it was “virtually blackmail”.

“Before we get to the stage of having a meeting, we want answers to some questions,” he said.

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