Bangour Hospital goes up for sale
Hundreds of new houses could be built at the former Bangour Village Hospital after the site was put up for sale.
NHS Lothian, which owns the site, has instructed property consultants to put it on the market while a planning application for over 800 homes is being considered.
In 2015 plans were drawn up to transform the Bangour site and meetings were held to gauge the public’s opinion.
A year later a planning application was submitted to West Lothian Council for 800 new houses, with up to a further 91 being developed from conversions of existing listed buildings.
The plans also included a new primary school, access roads, open space and the refurbishment of 15 listed buildings and infrastructure.
However the proposal was later referred to Scottish Ministers and a decision is expected shortly.
Iain Graham, director of Capital Planning, NHS Lothian said he hopes a housing developer will snap up the site.
He continued: “We are keen to attract a developer who can bring a housingled redevelopment to West Lothian that recognises the historic importance of this significant site.
“It is anticipated that a closing date will be set in the near future, and interested parties should register their interest with the selling agent.”
Property consultants CBRE and Justin Lamb Associates have been instructed by NHS Lothian to market the site.
They said the site extends to 87 hectares (215 acres) and provides “a unique development opportunity in Scotland’s central belt with the potential for up to 800 new build homes and the conversion of existing buildings to form a further 91 residential units, subject to planning permission.”
The hospital was built by architect Hippolyte Blanc in the early 1900s as the Edinburgh District Asylum and was designed as a self-contained community supported by its own amenities which included a village shop, church and railway.
The use of the hospital diminished upon the opening of the local St John’s Hospital in Livingston in 1989, eventually closing completely in 2004. The Scottish Futures Trust has been working with NHS Lothian to develop and deliver a strategy for the sale of the site with a focus on working up a commercially viable plan informed by stakeholder engagement.
A spokesperson for West Lothian Council added: “The council is aware of the scheme and its importance to the community and recognises the importance of the historic buildings on the site.
“The council will continue to work with the local community and NHS Lothian in order to develop a scheme that will enable the future development of the site whilst balancing the need for restoration of key parts of the former village Hospital.
“However, NHS Lothian referred the planning application to Scottish Ministers before the council made a decision on it. As a result the decision on the application will be made by the Scottish Ministers.”