The Community Council has a statutory right to be consulted by West Lothian Council on planning applications. In order to broaden its own consultation, the Community Council has sponsored the establishment of the Linlithgow Planning Forum, which is open to interested organisations in the town.
The Planning Forum has issued a discussion document entitled Linlithgow – A Plan for the Future 2015-30. This document was the subject of a public consultation at a public exhibition that took place at the Low Port Centre on Tuesday 17th November 2015. The document is Appendix A in the Community Council’s objection to West Lothian Council’s Local Development Plan (LDP). The Plan for the Future Ed2 Feb 2016 can be downloaded by clicking the link plan-for-future-feb-06
The letter of objection to the LDP from the Community Council can be downloaded by clicking the link LLBCC response to draft Local Plan
The results of the questionnaire survey (73 completed questionnaires, Appendix B to the letter of objection) can be downloaded by clicking the link Results of a Questionnaire Survey
Planning Forum – The Planning Forum is constituted as a sub-committee of the Community Council and as well as Community Council representatives has representatives of Linlithgow Civic Trust (including Burgh Beautiful), Transition Linlithgow, Linlithgow Business Association, Linlithgow Victoria Hall Trust and Linlithgow Community Development Trust. The objectives of the Planning Forum are:
a) To co-ordinate Linlithgow’s input to the Development Plan.
b) To be aware of, review, discuss and publicise planning matters related to Linlithgow and its immediate surroundings.
c) To ensure that coordinated cover of the weekly planning lists is provided so that contentious planning applications are not missed.
d) To try and achieve a consensus view in response to contentious planning applications in Linlithgow and its immediate surroundings.
The objectives do not prevent individuals or Member Organisations from holding and putting forward alternative or contradictory representations but they do so in the knowledge of the opinions of other organisations in the town. The Planning Forum meets as necessary. A report of the Planning Forum is included in the Planning Report, presented to each meeting of the Community Council and available under the meetings and minutes heading of this website.
Vennel Redevelopment
During the summer of 2017 West Lothian Council consulted residents of Linlithgow on a plan to redevelop the Vennel. The aim of the project is to raise income for West Lothian Council through the disposal of a number of properties in and around the Vennel which are not required by the Council following the move of the library to the new Partnership Centre at County Buildings.
The properties are: the area between the flats on stilts and the High St; all buildings in the Vennel avenue (library, toilets, offices and shops); the Vennel car park and the green area between the buildings and the Loch.
The West Lothian Council documents can be viewed by clicking on the following links:
Vennel Planning Guidance – the document inviting developers to make proposals
Vennel site plan – the area for redevelopment
Vennel WLC Report 0417- the report of the committee meeting
The Planning Forum (see above) ran an on-line survey and an identical paper based survey in the library to which 259 replies were received. It also organised two Saturday morning table events at the Cross, a BBQ with Vennel residents, a door to door survey with all Vennel residents, an exhibition at the Low Port Centre featuring a display prepared by Linlithgow Civic Trust (attended by 150 visitors) and a more detailed questionnaire on development ideas for the area which was completed by 120 people. In addition to answering questions, respondents included a number of comments which were all forwarded to West Lothian Council.
The response of the Community Council to West Lothian Council can be accessed by clicking on the following link: Vennel consultation letter to West Lothian Council
The questionnaire results are in paper A and the comments in Paper B.
The response made by Linlithgow Civic Trust can be found at http://lbt.scot/civic-trust/planning.
Following discussions of the Planning Forum it was decided to undertake an options appraisal exercise to gain an insight on the potential scale of the return West Lothian Council could expect from the project. The options spanned a fully commercial development to a Linlithgow community focused development. The September 2018 Options Appraisal document can be downloaded by clicking on the following link.Vennel Options Appraisal Document Sept 2018
Scottish Government Consultation
The documents relating to this consultation can be downloaded at these links:
Places, People and Planning – A consultation of the future of the Scottish Planning System
Review of Places People and Planning discussion document
Scottish Planning Framework
The draft of the Community Council’s response to the consultation is available at the following link:
Linlithgow and Linlithgow Community Council response
Edinburgh Airport Airspace Change Programme
The Phase 1 consultation was completed in 2016. The relevant documents and the Community Council’s response can be viewed by clicking on the following links:
Phase 1 Consultation_Document
Community Council response
Phase 1 Findings_Report
The Phase 2 consultation ended on 30th April 2017. The consultation book and the various responses can be viewed by clicking on the links below:
ACP_consultation_book
Community Council response
West Lothian Council response
The Airspace Change Programme second consultation report has been published and the application to the CAA to change the current flight paths has been made. Towards the end of 2017 the CAA will make its decision regarding the application. The report and the application can be viewed by clicking on the links below.
ACP Second Consultation Report 18/07/2017
Application to CAA – ACP proposal