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Home›Notices›Letter: Save Damhead’s Greenbelt

Letter: Save Damhead’s Greenbelt

Development is needed, just not on the greenbelt, says reader

By Thomas Scott
May 10, 2015
1767
1

This is a letter to the editor submitted by Heather MacKay, on behalf of the Damhead Community Council, in response to our article on the proposed development of a film studio at Old Pentland.


As readers will know, Damhead and District is the green gateway to Midlothian, supporting rural jobs, with a rural landscape, right on the edge of urban development. It has a unique rural character.

The residents of Damhead welcome sustainable development, appropriate to the nature of their community and Midlothian’s character in general. This film studio fits none of these criteria. Such a major development of multiple warehouses approaching the height of The Kelpies, and a power plant would destroy a large piece of Midlothian’s prime agricultural green belt land and be costly to the local environment. It would increase air, light and noise pollution, traffic congestion and destroy precious habitats. This would be an atrocity for the region and the local communities, not to mention the resident farm tenant Jim Telfer who is being threatened with eviction against his will.

We recognise a need for progressive development, but not of this nature on such valuable soil at a time when Edinburgh, our neighbour, is recognising the importance of locally produced food. Such development should be on brownfield sites. The developer is proposing that the only piece of brownfield be set aside as ambiguous employment land, for other corporates to potentially develop in the future.

However, we believe there is a very low probability that this will happen. In addition to this the developers have taken it upon themselves to discard Midlothian Council’s proposed A701 realignment and suggest it be moved further into Damhead. This road would obliterate much of Damhead’s prime agricultural land, bisect the Damhead community, and destroy rural livelihoods and jobs.

Whilst the Scottish Film Industry is crying out for a film studio in Scotland, they have been clear in stating that Midlothian is not the place for the development. They would prefer it to be in the greater Glasgow area, in close proximity to the vast majority of Scotland’s existing television and film infrastructure. All in all, it makes very little sense.

We urge those opposed to this development to object in writing to Midlothian Council.

What’s your view? Let us know below or join the conversation on Facebook or Twitter. Alternatively reply to this letter by getting in touch.

TagsEnvironmentMidlothian CouncilStraiton
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Thomas Scott

Editor and founder of The Penicuik Cuckoo. Fourth year Architecture student (MA Hons) at Edinburgh University currently writing on the role of architecture in post-industrial towns. Interested in all things Penicuik. Triplet.

  • davidmoncoeur

    The people who signed the petition for the “film studio” are making an assumption they are being told the truth, which I have overheard Straiton/Bilston locals wonder ~ they are absolutely right, remembering the research of George Monbiot, recounted in his book, ‘Captive State’ ~ the most comparable incident relevant to the present farmer’s predicament, close by Straiton, is where a road is planned in Denbighshire ~ I think, remembering this sitting at a computer for the first time in a couple of years ~ the police kicked protesters out of trees, allowed a road to be built ~ whereupon the police themselves expressed their anger to see the road do nothing but link a suburb of rich people with a Safeway superstore ~ suggesting Safeway had selfishly manipulated council officials & the like, induced them to announce a more moral & ‘green’ purpose/proposal to the public ~ & not even the Denbighshire police were aware of the extreme selfishness of Safeway management’s behaviour and intentions (think they became “Morrison’s” later on) …….so Monbiot says the police felt “sickened” after ejecting the demonstrators from their treehouses & the like…….then seeing the road make extra money for Safeway!!!! So…….all ye who hath signed the petition for the “Hollywood Film Studio”…..!?! “They’ll pretend they’re buildin’ they film studios, then aw ye’ll see is a load i Asda warehooses or somethin’…..” Which is quoting an overheard Straiton local, not me…….he’s all too likely to be right.

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