A decision to let construction lorries mix with rush hour traffic across a busy route to school in West Calder despite refusal by the West Lothian Council has left its leader 'astounded'.
Persimmon Homes appealed to the Scottish Government's Division of Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) last summer after failing to secure an 8am start on a housing development in Hartwood Wood .
And DPEA Reporter Sue Bell dismissed local claims that allowing construction traffic into the rush-hour mix could be dangerous.
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Overturning West Lothian Council’s condition of a 9am start she wrote: “West Calder and Harburn Community Council has raised concerns about the effects on the proposed change in construction time on the safety of children travelling to school.
“Given these concerns, I timed my site inspection to coincide with this time. During my site inspection, I saw cars parked along Hartwood Road. These did not appear, on the day of my visit, to prevent clear passage of vehicles along the road. Nor did they appear to act as any impediment to those wishing to cross the road to reach the footpath along the east side of Hartwood Road.”
However, after seeking clarification on the decision passed to the Development Management Committee this month, West Lothian Council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick said: “I’m absolutely astounded . That’s a busy road where children walk to school. Absolutely astounded."
He added: “There have been a few Reporter’s decisions lately which have left me slightly open-mouthed, and many in the community as well.”
Permission had been granted permission for the development in early 2020 on a strict condition that work on the site of 48 homes would only start after 9am because the main access to the site was through the busy and narrow Kirkgate in the centre of the town, leading off the main A71 road.
The Main Street route including crossing Kirkgate is also the main route for children from the west of the town walking to the new high school.
House builder Persimmon argued in July last year that they could ensure safety and wanted to standardise working hours with other sites in West Lothian to 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on a Saturday.
The Development Management Committee threw that plea out. The committee heard that there had already been disputes with neighbours of the site because some contractors had been on site from 7am.
But, at that same hearing, the local community council reiterated its concerns. In a new objection it reminded the committee that the 9am start condition: “was put in place to specifically address the safety of all schoolchildren ".
The council added: “The junction with A71 is a particular concern as there is no school crossing attendant in place until 8.30am.”
The objectors added: “Residents have also complained to the community council that construction vehicles are not adhering to the 20mph speed limit, which further endangers the safety of schoolchildren, nursery children and other residents (some of whom are elderly/wheelchair users).”
