A petition has been set up to save the greenbelt around Bathgate from the threat of housing development.
Bathgate’s Labour councillor Harry Cartmill said he had been ”inundated” with support and almost 400 townspeople had added their signatures within two days of the petition being launched.
The petition was started following the decision by a planning Reporter from the Scottish Government Division of Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) to support proposals from Taylor Wimpey to build on a controversial site on the western fringe of the town.
READ MORE: Controversial West Lothian greenbelt housing backed by Scottish Government
West Lothian Council had already fought and lost against the large housing development on Sibbald’s Brae. It refused the detailed Taylor Wimpey plans claiming the developers were "cramming” almost 200 homes onto a field in open countryside.
The DPEA Reporter backed the Taylor Wimpey proposal in a subsequent appeal however.
Councillor Cartmill branded that rejection of local democracy as something more recognisable in North Korea than modern Scotland.
The new petition, launched online, says: “Acres of protected Greenbelt in Falside and Windyknowes are soon to be despoiled by housing development. This is despite overwhelming opposition from the Bathgate Community and our democratically elected representatives.
“This greenbelt is of outstanding natural beauty and is home to ancient trees and protected animal species.
“We call on the Scottish Government to reverse this environmentally destructive decision and respect local democracy.”
Councillor Cartmill branded the petition as the town’s "last hope”.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I have set up a petition to Scottish Government Ministers calling for them (our last hope !) to step in here and respect local democracy , the will of a Community and indeed follow their own policies.”
He added: “This area is zoned as green space on the local plan , deciduous trees ( some 200 years old) are protected by law and there is the serious issue of the three protected species ( great crested newts , short eared bats and water voles) whose precious habitat will be destroyed .
Councillor Cartmill said the petition was shared on his personal Facebook page and Twitter feed.
He added: “It has (at the last count) been shared on this social media forum over 70 times illustrating the Community opposition - indeed outrage - at this sole Reporters decision .
“I’ve been totally inundated with phone calls , messages of support and many people approaching me wishing “ all the best “ on this campaign - so many have just realised their voice is being silenced by a faceless unaccountable person who will not see the environmental destruction and community chaos their decision will have on the town of Bathgate.”
The petition can be found online here: https://www.petitions.net/signatures/save_bathgate_green_belt/
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