August 2024

Disappointing News from the Planning Committee. Today we are deeply disappointed that the planning committee unanimously approved the housing development on the woodland to the south of the Herdmanflat hospital site. Despite the overwhelming objections from the community, it’s clear that the council has chosen to prioritise housing over preserving our precious greenspaces and supporting the needs of existing communities.

What’s particularly frustrating is how the committee completely failed to address our serious concerns about the unfairness of this application process. Not only is the council acting as both developer and planning authority—a clear conflict of interest—but the whole process felt like a fait accompli from the beginning. The so-called consultation left little room for real community input and failed to explore alternative uses for the site. Decisions like these make us question whether the voices of local people actually matter to councillors in the face of predetermined outcomes.

While it’s disheartening to see politicians willing to sacrifice the woodland without proper consideration of the community’s needs and wishes, let’s be clear: this isn’t the end. 

We are working with legal advice from Environmental Rights for Communities Scotland to explore our options for challenging this decision. Additionally, we’re moving forward with our Community Asset Transfer (CAT) application to secure the woodland for the community. The fight to protect this space isn’t over, and your support will be more important than ever in the weeks and months ahead.

We stand together as a community, and we’ll keep pushing for what’s right—for our greenspaces, for our well-being, and for future generations.

Stay tuned for more updates and ways you can get involved. Together, we can still make a difference. 

May 2024

The Steering Group has appointed an interim board tasked with setting up a SCIO as an eligible body to make the CAT application.  The Steering Group chose the name Haddington Community Woodlands for the SCIO.  The board has 10 members elected from the Steering Group.

At the moment the board is working very hard on the SCIO constitution and gathering support for our application. 

Members of the Steering Group are going door to door collecting signatures of support for the CAT application.  If you would like to help us or get involved as a Steering Group member, send us a message and we will get back to you.

March 2024

We are excited to invite you to an important community meeting where we will share our vision and prospective plans for Herdmanflat woodland. The community has an opportunity to apply for ownership through the Community Asset Transfer scheme.   We'll share our plans for a Stage 1 application.  Come along and discover the details of our proposal to acquire and manage Herdmanflat Woodland for the benefit of our community. Join us at our meeting on Saturday 30th March at 11:30 in the Trinity Centre, Church Street, Haddington.

DECEMBER 2023

An application for planning permission in principle has been submitted for the redevelopment of the Herdmanflat Hospital site by East Lothian Council. The plan includes the building of 73 houses in the small woodland to the south of the site.  If, like us, you think that the overdevelopment of the site will destroy the green oasis that we all love then please object now.  Find out how to object on HERE 

Come along to our public meeting in the West Church on Saturday 16th December at 10:30 where we will explore the plans and give you more information on how to object.

We know Christmas is just around the corner but please take a few minutes to stand up for Herdmanflat and object.

OCTOBER 2023 - UPDATE

As of now, there have been no recent developments or news regarding the proposed housing development by East Lothian Council. We were anticipating the submission of their planning application by this time, but it seems we need to exercise patience a little while longer.

We remain vigilant and are prepared for when the council does submit its planning application. We have a campaign strategy, ready to activate in the hope that our united efforts can save our green space.  We are committed to making our voices heard loud and clear.

We continue to encourage our community to stay informed, engaged, and ready to act when the time comes. Your support and dedication are the cornerstone of our campaign, and together, we can make a difference.

PUBLIC MEETING  -12th August 2pm The Trinity Centre

During the meeting, we will present compelling reasons why preserving Herdmanflat's greenspace is crucial to the local community and whether the proposed development aligns with the principles and policies of the recent National Planning Framework 4 legislation.

Please join us.  We value the thoughts and aspirations of our community for this cherished space. Your input will help influence the decisions that will safeguard Herdmanflat for the future.

NEW PETITION!

 this is a new petition as East Lothian Council and Hub South East Scotland Ltd raised objections to the wording of our previous petition.  

SIGN IT HERE: https://shorturl.at/iLNX8

Answers to questions put to Neil Gibb from HSD

• The hsd@eastlothian.gov.uk email address has been circulated but is there also a royal mail correspondence address people could use? 

An address was previously provided on the paper version of the questionnaire, but the HSD team has now moved to Penston House and the revised address is:

Herdmanflat Consultation,

Housing Strategy & Development Team,

East Lothian Council,

Penston House

Macmerry Industrial Estate

EH33 1EX

• Also do you record the emails / correspondence? Yes, these are all recorded and anonymised details will subsequently be provided in a report on the consultation which will be made public.
• At the two consultation events was foreign language, brail and dyslexia friendly media available? No, these were not provided for the previous consultation events. However for future consultation events for the Herdmanflat redevelopment proposals we are looking how we can best provide consultation material so that it is accessible to a wider group, specifically:

Foreign language translations: We will look at publishing consultation material as HTML documents on the council’s website or more likely a link to the page on the Consultation Hub. HTML documents on the website can be translated into a wide range of languages using the Translate Me function. If this is not feasible, we will publish the documents as pdf files on the council’s Consultation Hub, as previously. Translation software, for example Google Translate can be used with pdfs and we will provide information on how such software can be accessed.

Braille translations: We have been advised that blind and visually impaired people are more likely to use screen readers than Braille. As mentioned above we will publish consultation material as HTML documents on the council’s website and these can be accessed using the Recite Me or via the Consultation Hub  where they can be accessed via other screen reading software and again we will provide information on how such software can be accessed.. We will also consider providing audio versions of the documents and Braille translations on request.

Dyslexia friendly media: We will aim to publish future consultation material in a form that is easier for people with dyslexia to read, using guidance such as the dyslexia style guide provided by the British Dyslexia Association.

We will also consider how to make consultation material easier for people with learning disabilities and dementia to read.

• At the meeting you advised that the next phase was with Health and Wellbeing.  What does that entail and can the public engage in this process? We do not expect the Health and Wellbeing consultation to start until the autumn and the details of what this will involve will be circulated to local groups and the wider community in advance of the consultation taking place.
• Have you contacted Haddington District Community Council and if so will Herdmanflat be discussed etc there prior to planning or during the planning phase? Yes, as mentioned at the presentation to HCTRA, this has been arranged for the next meeting of the Community Council on 13th June.
• Originally we were advised the planning proposal was to be submitted June/July but at the Q&A it was stated this would most likely occur nearer the end of the year.  Is there a revised time scale for this?  When do you think planning proposals will be submitted? We expect an application for Planning Permission in Principle to be submitted in July/August. The application to be submitted nearer the end of the year is the detailed planning application, although the estimated date for this application might not be until early 2024. However there will be a further round of consultation in advance of the detailed planning application being made.