Cramond Action Group issues last ditch appeal

Seconds out, round two: Battle lines drawn in leafy Cramond

The two opposing sides in a planning dispute are slugging it out in a social media battle for community support – and the bruising encounter’s taking place in genteel Cramond.

Care Concern is seeking planning permission to build a fifty-bed care home for the elderly on Whitehouse Road. They argue that the facility is much-needed and will address a ‘vital shortfall in care home provision in the city’. They have also set up a Facebook page, Support Cramond Care Home, with links to an online petiton to support their case – currently signed by 287 people.

However a local group set up to fight the plans since they were first lodged has issued an eleventh-hour appeal for support. Cramond Action Group say the scale of the proposed development is totally out of proportion with surrounding buildings and would eradicate the green space there.

A previous application for a care home on the site was rejected by planners but revised plans – which objectors maintain are little different from the original proposals – were submitted in November and will be decided later this month. Deadline for comments is 27 January – a week today.

Cramond Action Group say on their Facebook page: “The good news is, as of this afternoon, we have 173 objections on the portal so far. The “bad” news is there are a further 105 comments that we are not sure of, a fair chunk we know to be friends and family of those selling the land – with a vested interest for commercial gains.

“We CANNOT risk the voice “for the land sale” being louder than the objections against the development. And we need to try and match the 340 objections we had last time. AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

“We do realise everyone is very busy but the deadline is Wednesday 27 January, not a weekend as it was previously, and we know how time flies during the week. So PLEASE spare 10 minutes of your time as soon as you can.”