Haddington: Plea for more information on Herdmanflat housing plans

Plans were revealed earlier this year to transform Haddington’s former Herdmanflat Hospital and its grounds.

East Lothian Council revealed that the site “could accommodate around 140 dwellings”, including the conversion of the remaining listed buildings there.

The “proposed target age group” would be over-55s, with 50 to 60 per cent of the existing site to “remain undeveloped”.

READ MORE: Haddington: Herdmanflat plans for 100 homes could be made this summer

Stuart Pe-Win, chairman of Haddington Central Tenants and Residents Association (HCTRA), said that a number of concerns had been raised, including the lack of concrete information in terms of who the housing would be aimed at, the amount of development on the site and whether other locations had been considered.

He said: “None of us are opposing any development.

“We just want to make sure the development on the site is appropriate: they say it is for the elderly, yet when I last talked to someone they said over-55s.

“I did not realise that was considered elderly – I am two years away from that.”

Proposals earlier this year suggested that new buildings would likely range between two and a maximum of four storeys in height, with construction taking up to four years to complete.

READ MORE: Haddington: Petition over housing plans at former Herdmanflat Hospital

Two rounds of public consultation have already been held by East Lothian Council.

The community will again get the chance to have their say on the proposals when a planning application is lodged.

Previously, the council said that it was “unlikely” work could start before the end of the year.

Mr Pe-Win, who invited people to attend a meeting in the Nungate and Haddington Community Centre on Monday, was concerned that the length of the development time would have a detrimental impact on the ecology of the site.

He also questioned whether there were other sites in Haddington and the wider county that could have been “a better match” for what was being proposed.

Mr Pe-Win said: “I live on High Street and Haddington is a great place but there is so much traffic and quite a lot of noise. My youngest was born in the house and she is literally Haddington born and bred.

“We have grown up walking through Herdmanflat.

“It is a nice little oasis of green and a very calming place.”

The public meeting takes place at 7pm and members of the public are welcome.

Representatives from East Lothian Council will be in attendance and attempt to answer any concerns.

A website – saveherdman flat.co.uk – has been set up, while a petition to “protect the Herdmanflat green spaces” has attracted more than 450 signatures.

The view of the proposed development at the former Herdmanflat Hospital, looking north from Lydgait

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “Redevelopment of Herdmanflat Hospital for housing has been planned for over 20 years.

“The East Lothian Local Development Plan highlights that when the site became surplus to NHS Lothian’s requirements, which happened in 2020, it would be considered for housing.

“This development is being led by the council and is being designed to deliver housing that will meet the needs of older people.

“Three large-scale consultations carried out in 2022 across East Lothian identified a specific desire from respondents to live at home rather than in a care home.

“The type of housing proposed at Herdmanflat is in keeping with this and would see the health and wellbeing use of the site being continued and adapted to meet the needs of the 21st century.

“It is not the case that there are plans to ‘destroy 40-60 per cent of the woodland to build housing’, as has been stated. The existing woodland will be retained.

“Removal of any trees other than those that have seeded since the demolition of the former Hopetoun Unit – and those that have been specifically highlighted by the arboriculturist as requiring removal because they are dead or in poor/dangerous condition – will be very limited. The redevelopment strategy aims to retain and enhance existing woodland access. Development proposals are sensitive to the importance of protecting the environment with the masterplan developed around the greenspace and trees as opposed to trying to maximise the density of housing.

“The majority of new housing will be restricted to the southern part of the site (where the Hopetoun Unit previously stood) – therefore a brownfield site – the east and west sides of the central green area and some small-scale development around the retained hospital buildings to the north of the site.

“Public access to and within the site will be improved with new pedestrian entrances and footpaths, and active travel (walking and cycling, etc) routes established to link with the wider area. People will still be able to walk their dogs in the grounds and enjoy the woodlands, and children will be able to play safely.

“The orchard to the north of the site will be preserved, and community growing space is being actively considered/promoted as part of the plan.

“Details of the masterplan proposals can be viewed online at eastlothianconsultations.co.uk and we would urge anyone interested in the site who has not yet done so to have a look at them.”