HANDS OFF HOSPITAL GROUNDS
Hundreds of campaigners have united to submit a 46- page objection against a major housing development on hospital grounds.
Protestors behind the Save Paisley’s
Green Space group claim the current sanctuary for wildlife and local families will be decimated should proposals for 605 houses within the grounds of Dykebar Hospital go ahead.
Bellway Homes, CALA Homes and Barratt Homes are seeking permission to build Thornly Park Village, featuring a range of homes from one-bedroom flats to five-bed detached houses, on the 95-acre site off Grahamston Road, Paisley.
The £150million development between the consortium will, if approved by Renfrewshire Council, be built within the grounds of the current mental health hospital surrounding a central meadow.
The housebuilders say they will retain much of the site as open space for residents and the wider community to enjoy.
But Save Paisley’s Green Space, which previously secured more than 1,000 signatures in a petition against the plans, says the application should be thrown out
in their detailed objection, which covers 12 key areas of concern.
Jennifer Reid, from the campaign group, said the development poses a threat to wildlife, biodiversity, the environment, pedestrians’ safety, the sustainability of local health services and schools and the well-being of patients and residents who use the green space to bolster their physical and mental health.
Jennifer told the Express: “It is the cumulative impact of all these concerns that make this development so unpalatable to locals.
“Other developments like this may face one of these problems, but, for us, it is about every single one of these factors and the cumulative effect they will have on the lives of people living in this area.
“One of my concerns is when you look at the PR statements from the developers, the NHS and the council, it’s about the economic impact.
“That, I 100 per cent agree, is a legitimate reason, but paragraph 28 of Scottish Planning policy states it is not just about the economic reasons, it’s about creating sustainable places, the environment, etc.
“It’s not about developing houses at any cost. In this case, the costs are far too great.”
Recognising the houses would bring jobs and much-needed housing stock to Paisley, Jennifer said the benefits of the development simply did not outweigh the catastrophic impact a development of this scale would have on an area with an already limited access to green space.
She said: “Think of the social impact on local residents who will need to endure construction traffic, noise pollution, chemical pollution and disruption for several years. The same disruption for staff and patients at the hospital.
“Patients who are mentally ill and at their most vulnerable, this disruption is detrimental to their well-being and recovery.”
Andrew Duncan, land director of CALA Homes West, said: “Paisley has become a very popular place to live, not only with current residents, but also with people who are attracted to live in the town for its location and sense of community.
“The council has recognised the need for more homes and this site has been allocated by them as an appropriate location for housing.”
He added: “The construction phase will provide 99 full-time equivalent construction jobs, injecting an additional £ 39.7million into the regional construction sector and the consortium members have committed to using local firms and labour whenever possible.”