Plans are unveiled for major new hub
£275 million proposal set to boost housing and employment opportunities
Plans have been submitted to West Lothian Council for a £275 million residential-led development and relocation of existing farm space to new state-of-the-art facilities.
Drumshoreland Garden Community, situated at the current Clapperton poultry farm complex, located east of Livingston, will comprise a vibrant sustainable development of 108 hectares.
This will include open market and affordable housing, employment, educational and other community facilities, delivering hundreds of jobs both in construction and in the completed development.
Located within a substantial new parkland setting, this includes 19.9 hectares of ancient woodland being given over to public access.
Two applications for planning permission in principle (PPiP) have been submitted to West Lothian Council, aiming to establish the principle of development on the site.
A PPiP application has been submitted covering the wider site and the other PPiP will cover an area of land located within the wider site.
The Clapperton site, owned by Amber REI (Agriculture) Ltd, part of Amber REI (Holdings) Ltd, is a key component of the Scottish poultry supply chain but currently comprises ageing poultry sheds and surplus land.
Current facilities at the Clapperton site will be relocated elsewhere in West Lothian, delivering state-ofthe-art operations.
Around 1800 homes, including 25 per cent affordable homes, are proposed as part of Drumshoreland Garden Community and will be brought forward by Elan Homes (Scotland) Ltd, a sister company of Amber REI. The low-carbon community could also serve to address a significant historic housing land supply problem in West Lothian.
A wide range of house types, sizes and tenures would be provided, including affordable housing, with the aim of providing a genuine range and choice, establishing a mixed, diverse community from the outset.
Positive initial discussions have already been held with a registered social landlord, Almond Housing Association, with respect to the early planning and ultimate delivery of affordable housing, as well as with Veterans Housing Scotland for some veteran housing on the site.
The development will also seek to embrace the philosophy of “a 20-minute neighbourhood” as promoted by the Scottish Government, where people can meet most
of their essential needs within a 20-minute walk. It also means having easy access to greenspace and a local environment that encourages active travel to promote health and wellbeing.
A combination of the Drumshoreland development and other investment across Scotland in the agriculture, food and tourism sectors could see the potential for £425
million (£275 million for Drumshoreland and £150 million across the rest of Scotland) being invested, supporting 5750 jobs and delivering new state-of-the -art low-carbon facilities.
The initial plan is to improve, replace and expand elements of the Scottish poultry supply chain, strengthening this vital and significant rural employer.
These new state-of-theart low carbon facilities will
create jobs both directly and indirectly through the supply chain. The delivery of these improved facilities will also serve to assist in improving standards in the sector while making a major contribution to the Scottish Government’s target of a net-zero society in terms of greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.
Commenting on the proposals, a spokesperson from Amber REI (Agriculture) said: “We are delighted to be submitting these planning applications to West Lothian Council which follows significant preapplication consultations with the local community and other stakeholders. This could deliver significant investment not only in West Lothian but across Scotland as a whole.
“As an exemplar low carbon community Drumshoreland will not only deliver muchneeded housing, including affordable housing, but employment, education and community facilities in a unique parkland setting.
“It would also deliver significant post-covid investment amounting to more than £150 million into the poultry processing supply chain across Scotland, creating jobs, both directly and indirectly, as well as delivering a low carbon future for the agriculture sector.”
Planning and development consultancy Turley is providing planning, strategic communications, economics, heritage & townscape and sustainability services for the scheme.
Masterplanning and placemaking services are being led by OPEN (Optimised Environments) including integrated architecture and landscape disciplines.
Spending plans for local services that will see more than £453 million of significant ongoing investment in local services and support packages for those in most need have been approved as part of West Lothian Council’s Revenue Budget for 2021/22.
The Revenue Budget covers the council’s day-to-day expenditure and includes the cost of running services such as education, social care, roads and parks.
With 80 per cent of the council’s total revenue budget funded directly from Scottish Government grants, the remaining 20 per cent is generated via Council Tax, paid by local people.
The council has agreed that Council Tax will be frozen in 2021/22.
But it also outlined cuts of around £9m.
The bulk - 80 per cent - of the council’s revenue budget is spent on three priority areas.
Education will continue to see the largest amount of single investment (£189 million).
Social Care (£113.2 million) – which includes care homes, social work, care at home, care for vulnerable people.
Operational Services(£57.7million) – which includes roads, waste disposal, parks, maintenance of open spaces, flood prevention, fleet/community transport and subsidies for public transport.
The budget includes a £1 million Winter Resilience Fund to allow for an urgent response to winter weather.
An additional £750,000 will be spent on repairing potholes following the recent extended period of cold winter weather.
This is in addition to the £4.5 million that will be invested in road and footways upgrades through the council’s Capital investment programme in 2021/22.
Key aspects of the budget include investment to meet an increase in the cost of complex care for a rapidly growing elderly population and investment to help reduce homelessness with an increase in health and social care funding.
An extra £1 million has been set aside to meet a demand for financial support via the Scottish Welfare Fund.
The council tax reduction scheme has been allocated £2 million as demand is expected to rise as unemployment increases due to the furlough scheme winding down in 2021.
Additional funding for school clothing grants and food support packages delivered in partnership between Third Sector.
An extra £1.3 million has been allocated to provide payments to those eligible for free school meals during all school holidays from summer 2021 to enable parents/children to purchase food during school holiday periods.
The pandemic will have a continued impact on the council’s financial position in 2021/22 and beyond.
Over £21 million will be spent by the council next year offsetting costs associated with Covid-19 and other initiatives such as training, employment and anti-poverty.
This includes: £1.5 million to help
West Lothian Leisure meet substantial and prolonged reduction in income, loss of income for services such as Linlithgow Burgh Halls, school catering, licensing, school lets and instrumental music.
Extra investment of £3.7 million to meet the challenges that schools and families have experienced during lockdown, all to help with the educational recovery of young people.
The fund to increase nursery hours to 1140 receives £1.7 million.
From the Jobs Task Force fund, nearly £2 million will be spent next year to help economic growth.
These funds will support new highervalue jobs, and upskilling/reskilling of staff to help firms meet short/medium term economic challenges.
This is a large increase from the £895,000 in the previous year which supported 360 new, high-value jobs in sectors including life sciences and technology.
There’s an additional investment of £600,000 to help tackle climate change.
A spokesman said Scottish Government funding continues to be insufficient to meet increasing costs and demands for services.
As a result, West Lothian Council will have to put in place £9 million next year to meet the shortfall in funding and balance the budget – something the council is legally required to do.
It is estimated that between April 2007 and March 2023, West Lothian Council will have made budget savings of over £151 million due to prolonged constraints in Scottish Government funding, which is over £1920 per household in West Lothian.
Leader of West Lothian Council, Councillor Lawrence Fitzpatrick, said: “Despite the challenges, West Lothian remains a great place to live and work and growing numbers of people continue to choose to call West Lothian their home. This council will continually strive to enhance services for the benefit of all.”
The budget for improvements to Eastertoun Primary in Armadale has dropped from £4m down to £1.5m, raising questions about what work can be done for the price.
Local councillor Stuart Borrowman raised the figures during the debate at a full council meeting on the capital budget revealed last week.
Plans for a new school on a new site in the town are the ideal option but these have been ruled out.
Money has been set aside – just over £300,000 – to refurbish the kitchen at the school but the original extensive upgrade to the rest of the fabric now looks in doubt and there are fears that instead of a major upgrade there will be marginal improvements.
Councillor Borrowman reminded officers that reports on the fabric of the school, which opened in 1960, was branded as “poor”.
This included the roof, external walls and doors, sanitary ware and heating.
Which of these, wondered Councillor Borrowman, would qualify for improvement first.
“Can you explain how the council will meet its obligations to provide a suitable teaching and learning environment at Eastertoun Primary?” he asked.
Head of estates, Paul Kettrick, said: “The proposed £333,0000 of work to the school kitchens will be carried out this year. A further £1.5m investment in planned improvements will take place in the coming two to three years but there will also be internal alterations which will enhance the suitability of the learning environment for staff and pupils.”
Councillor Borrowman questioned which parts of the school fabric labelled as “poor” by the council would see a reduction on spending, or miss out on improvement because of the “disappearing £2.5m,”. Or would the inadequate gym facilities or poor access be left out because of that?
Mr Kettrick said a separate feasibility study into improving the access to the school was underway. Improvements to the windows, doors, walls and roof would be carried out as part of the structural maintenance of the building. The £2.5m had been set aside for providing additional capacity and had been based on developer contributions that would not be forthcoming.
“We will continue to invest in schools, and at Eastertoun,” said Mr Kettrick.
Speaking after the meeting Councillor Borrowman said: “Only a few months ago Labour felt it needed to spend £4m on the school. Now it is £1.5m. I don’t want to see cheap and cheerful.”
A West Lothian apprentice has been shortlisted for a prestigious award.
Cameron MacDonald, from Bathgate, is in the running for the Scottish Apprentice Ambassador of the Year award. He was nominated by his employer Diageo and currently works at the company’s site in Blackgrange, Alloa.
Cameron joined Diageo as a modern apprentice in electrical engineering before progressing as a graduate apprentice in engineering- electrical design and manufacture at Heriot Watt.
Cameron was shortlisted by Skills Development Scotland, who run the Scottish Apprenticeship Awards. The awards recognise current and recent apprentices who have made exceptional achievements and who continue to act as role models to others.
The winners will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony today (March 4), during Scottish Apprenticeship Week (March 1-5).
His achievements include being involved in the development of a new solution to transform stocktaking procedures and designing a prototype vibration analyser as part of a university engineering project to track the condition of equipment. He was also involved in large-scale engineering projects such as the multi-million-pound innovative FSDU (filling store, disgorging unit) at Diageo’s Cluny Bond.
He said: “I am honoured to be shortlisted in this year’s Scottish Apprenticeship Awards. My Diageo apprenticeship has allowed me to learn new skills in a dynamic environment and I am grateful to the fantastic team that have been behind me every step of the way.”
Since completion of his own apprenticeship, Cameron has been championing Diageo’s apprenticeship scheme across Scotland, including at the Scottish Parliament.
Gillian Dalziel, early career specialist at Diageo, said: “Cameron is a brilliant role model and ambassador for apprenticeships. He has consistently championed the role and value apprentices bring to our business both internally and externally among key stakeholders and really inspired young people to think differently and make informed choices about their future.”
An enterprising teacher in Livingston, has defied the lockdown gloom with the help of a Digital Boost Grant awarded to her by West Lothian Council.
Sandra Kasparek, who runs her French School La Jolie Ronde French – Livingston, teaches extracurricular French classes in four primary schools in Livingston and Falkirk, to children from five years old.
When the first lockdown struck, schools and venues closed and all face-to-face classes ceased. With ongoing closures and strict guidelines for outsider providers, disruption to classes continues. But Sandra was determined to keep her students’ bilingual journey moving and with the help of the local authority grant, her classes have gone from strength to strength.
She said: “As schools and the local venues shut down I literally overnight set up a virtual classroom with just my old laptop. With the wonders of technology, I managed to download a video platform and took my classes online. Pupils simply dialled in on a device of their choice and hey presto we were back up and running again.”
Sandra came across the Digital Boost Grant that West Lothian Council were offering, but she wasn’t sure if her fairly small business would fit the bill.
With the support of adviser Laura Brown, from the Business Gateway, she discovered that it was open for businesses who had already been supported through the Digital Boost Programme and who were known to be actively enabling technologies. Sandra, with Laura’s help, applied for the grant and after an audit by the council, Sandra’s application was approved. She added: “I cannot thank West Lothian Council and the Business Gateway enough for all their help and support. I’ve recently taken delivery of a brandnew PC, monitor and webcam. This new equipment has meant I’ve been able to continue to adapt my business to the current climate and continue providing these valuable classes for the children in my community.”
Sandra was also congratulated by MSP Neil Findlay, who put forward a Motion to Parliament for her efforts for continuing bilingual education for children.