Public Meeting about Murray Royal Hospital
The meeting was well attended. Pete Wishart our M.P. came along. We had an excellent presentation by Dick Salvin outlining the history, problems and possible solutions. There were lots of questions to the NHS representatives and local government officials.
If you were there, what did you think of the answers?
posted by bgk blogger @ 10:33 am
5 comments
5 Comments:
I attended the meeting and was interested to hear the following:
- The representative from the Traffic Department admitted there was "no extra capacity at Bridgend". Will this be a deciding factor in granting planning permission for 200+ extra houses? (not to mention the 700 proposed at Scone).
- When questioned about construction, the same representative said that construction traffic was not taken into account when planning permission was being approved (or dispproved). While not doubting the truth of this, I wonder what it implies for the roads, houses and other aspects of our area, in the SIX-year building period? Will the road structure be improved? Many of the roads are narrow and ordinary cars have trouble passing each other, never mind multi-tonne diggers and lorries.
- We were also informed that the traffic survey seemed to have been carried out on ONE DAY of this year - May 30. The Community Council strongly recommended an independent traffic survey. They were told a fuller traffic survey would be carried out.
- The representative from Planning was asked whether planning permission would actually be approved before a full traffic survey had been completed and the results studied. I think I'm right in recalling that he said he couldn't guarantee, regardless of the traffic issues, that it wouldn't be granted.
- The representative from NHS Tayside said the health board was obliged to sell off non-operational ground as directed by the Scottish Executive. This, he said, explained why a large tract of parkland was proposed for sale to a developer. But why is it deemed non-operational? The parkland has long been enjoyed by patients of Murray Royal as a major factor in their rehabilitation (a fact confirmed by the clinicians) and indeed enjoyed too by the neighbours of the Murray Royal site. Also, if this land is sold off, land containing the football pitches at present will have to be built on. As one resident pointed out, these are the only pitches on this side of the river. So much for encouraging a healthier Scotland. If the listed buildings in the centre of the park were used, or even the space which they currently occupy, say for the geriatric unit, the buildings would not be crammed into the space proposed at present.
Amendment to previous post
Sorry, I should have said 400 houses proposed at Scone.
I live in Gannochy and already find it difficult to get through Bridgend. I can't believe that the Council can say Bridgend is at full caoacity and then consider adding more traffic. What can we do to make them see sense?
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If you want to write to the planning department and add your traffic comments that would be a way of protesting to the folly of granting planning of any development before the roads/traffic issues are addressed.
Six years of building traffic on our current road network would certainally be disasterous, particularly for the local community.
By the planners own addmission Bridgend can't take any more - if they were to grant planning permission knowing and admitting this, it would a definite act of irresponsibility. I believe them to be professional, they are employed to serve us and our community and prevent developments that will cause havoce!
Regarding the NHS statement 'Surplus to requirements' I think the Public Meeting certainlly let them realise that this was a mistake from various points of view, particularly from there own patient care requirement.
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