Community garden planned at centre
Plans for a new community garden in the grounds of Strathbrock Partnership Centre in Broxburn have been given the go ahead.
Broxburn and Uphall Development Group have won the support of members of West Lothian Council’s Development Management Committee to develop a grassed area on the site as a place to grow veg and to learn gardening skills.
The new garden will take up an area of 1700 sq m, just under half an acre of the north west corner of the partnership grounds.
The site is bounded by the centre to the south and footpath connection towards West Main Street on the west.
The centre’s car park lies to the east of the site and to the north, directly behind the site lies a commercial property and the Broxburn Police Station.
The area of ground is mounded and maintained grass.
As part of the proposals, the ground levels will be reduced in height, a perimeter fence constructed, a storage container placed on site along with a gazebo.
However, the plan did meet with opposition from some neighbours and from the management committee of Strathbrock Community Centre.
In their written objections, the committee said: “Evidence shows that where there is a built-up area e.g. wall, fence etc, it gives the illusion of being enclosed and encourages loitering, congregation of groups and often vandalism.
“Members of the public accessing the community centre would understandably be reluctant to use the path from the main road to the building, particularly in the winter months.”
The community garden has won the financial backing of Holyrood as part of the Town Centres improvement programme.
It also won the support of Horticultural and Landscape team at Oatridge Campus of SRUC.
Speaking for the plan Keith MacLeod, a community councillor and member of Uphall Growers Society said the garden would be used by local schoolchildren and by students from Oatridge to help local people develop vegetable growing skills.