Meeting with NHS Lothian Wednesday 27th June at 4pm.
Six of us Goff, Nigel, Malcolm Fraser, Tony, Sofia and I, met with Stewart Adams and had what we felt was a constructive meeting.
Last year Hub Southeast produced a tender document for appointing the consultants but it was for them to produce a Planning in Principle, not a masterplan. The preferred consultants were chosen but a detailed Planning in Principle would be far too expensive for a cash-strapped NHS Lothian. Hub Southeast are now no longer involved but may be called upon later.
Scottish Government guidelines say that NHS must get “best value” from the sale. It is not specified whether this is monetary value but NHS Lothian want to take in to consideration the value to the community as well.
There was a lot of circular discussion as to whether a masterplan or a planning brief is needed until Malcolm suggested we need a planning brief that includes a masterplan. This was readily accepted by Stewart on the understanding that it would not include detailed plans for the listed buildings but simply state their future use and that it would not include all surveys (e.g. a bat survey would need to be carried out by the developer just before he started work because otherwise it would be out of date.) It was suggested that we need to know what would be included in this brief. We offered to list the contents we should like to see but then Stewart volunteered to produce an outline contents page which we would then add to.
Malcolm spoke to the AAC Trust’s document. They are hoping to preserve the openness and architecture and include affordable housing, housing to meet gaps in the provision (eg more wealthy elderly wishing to downsize), intergenerational housing (including the nursery), local GP services, and NHS Trusts, focussing on health and open space. They are discussing whether to create a limited company or Scottish charity in partnership with housing associations. They are hoping to obtain funds to employ a Development Manager. There is the possibility of AACT putting in a tender.
Stewart asked if we could delay the next meeting until the end of August to give him time to produce the contents page. In the hope that Daniel would be able to attend it was fixed for Monday 27th August, at either 4pm or 5pm. Meanwhile he will produce notes of todays meeting in a matter of days.