Developer hopes for quicker construction at Westfield site
The developer behind the proposed housing at Westfield in West Lothian has said they hope the submission of a planning application for improved access will help construction begin this year.
Alba Developments have submitted a planning application to West Lothian Council to allow access to their site at Westfield from the B8047 which, if approved, they believe will mean construction can begin in 2020.
Located in the small village of Westfield, the 80-acres development site was acquired by Alba Developments in 2019 and will be transformed into more than 550 family houses, with ground survey works beginning shortly and hopes that construction will begin in Autumn 2020.
The latest planning application allows for improved access to the site, facilitating a simple redesign of the site and increasing the likelihood of earlier construction.
The development site, which once contained the Westfield Paper Mill, aims to revitalise the village through an investment of around £100m over the next 10 years.
The site was initially given planning permission in 2010 but now finally looks to be realised following the takeover of the site by Alba Developments last year. A series of separate applications for individual phases of the development will be submitted in the next few months.
The proposals for the site will involve 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes as well as elements of open space provision, including a green corridor to expand into smaller play areas throughout the site.
The large-scale development could regenerate the local economy by attracting new public transport links and retail space. As part of the agreement between Alba Developments and West Lothian Council, there is also commitment to increase the capacity of Westfield Primary School and its facilities to meet the expected increase in demand.
Shane Ticklepenny, Managing Director, from Alba Developments commented: “We are excited to see progress at our Westfield development having submitted the latest planning application to the council just before Christmas. By amending the road access to the development, we hope to move up our schedule and begin construction this year. We will be keeping the local community fully informed of our proposals as each of the planning applications come forward in the next few months.”
“We are very proud of our plans at Westfield and hope it will inject new life into this lovely village. Our investment will bring an economic boost and new amenities, attracting families to the area and leading to upgrades to the local school and bus links to improve the connectivity with neighbouring towns.”
