31 Jul WEST LOTHIAN COUNCIL SAYS NO TO COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP CENTRE FOR WINCHBURGH
Background
Since 2004 there has been extensive consultation with this community through the Community Council about the breadth and scale of the largest housing development in Scotland. Constraints and opportunities for the growth of a population of approx 2,400 to one of 11,000 were seen in the first public “sketch layout” for community consultation by Winchburgh Developments Limited (WDL). WDL continue to consult , inform and listen to the community as the development has progressed.
In May of 2009 a report to West Lothian Council Executive identified a Winchburgh Community Partnership Centre (WPC) as part of the initial list of projects for the development. Within the legal agreement between WDL and WLC, the centre was to provide local residents with a range of services intended to include but not limited to Library, Health Centre, Police Station, Pharmacy and Community centre. At this point in time people had to travel to Broxburn for some of these provisions.
Issue
At a February 2020 meeting of the Community Council, the matter of the partnership Centre was raised. The WLC Cllrs present had been asked to provide an update on progress of this service provision. It was clear that this key component central to the town centre development had been omitted from the 2019/20 Year Capital Investment Strategy with NO CONSULTATION and NO COMMUNICATION with the Community. This is unacceptable.
A planned public meeting, set up to inform Winchburgh residents about this had to be cancelled due to Covid-19 lockdown .
We have had no communication from local WLC councillors but are now aware that on the 23rd of June at the Council Executive, the matter of the Partnership centre was raised and councillors were told there was no need for a Partnership Centre as there would be “Community facilities at the third block in the new schools complex.”
However, it is clear that these new schools are NOT community schools and there will only be access to a swimming pool and small sports hall after school hours through a booking system managed by Excite. This is NEITHER the CONCEPT or the CENTRAL LOCATION of the provision consulted on since 2004, established by WLC and WDL and on record since 2009.
Solution
As a community we ask West Lothian Council (WLC) and their partners to reverse their decision and provide Winchburgh with our owed and desperately needed Partnership Centre. In the event that the Partnership Centre is not built we ask WLC, Lothian Health Board and Police Scotland to brief the community of Winchburgh on exactly how a town of 10,000+ people are to be provided with the necessary community services.
Please help by signing our petition regarding this decision at the following link: