Major Whitburn housing development set to return to council

Green Town Heartlands Ltd has submitted updated proposals for around 1,600 new homes at the Heartlands site, which covers the area of the former Polkemmet Colliery. The application will be considered by the full West Lothian Council due to the scale of the proposed development.

The full council planning committee meets infrequently, most recently in 2023, to review housing plans for Brotherton Farm between Polbeth and Livingston.

The Heartlands site lies to the south of the existing development, about a mile south-west of Whitburn town centre. The proposed development covers approximately 192 acres, including partly remediated former colliery land. Surrounding uses include residential areas, brownfield land, agricultural fields, and an industrial estate.

A small section of the site lies outside the current Local Development Plan (LDP) allocation but remains within the original planning permission boundary. Planning permission in principle for the wider Heartlands site was first granted in 2016.

The new proposal includes around 1,600 homes, a 3.78-hectare neighbourhood centre with potential for retail units, community and health facilities, a public house, start-up office space, and land for a possible new primary school. The plans also include open green spaces, landscaping, sustainable drainage systems, and new infrastructure and roads.

Planning officers have recommended refusal of the application, noting that it does not fully align with the current LDP. While a new LDP is being prepared, national planning guidelines introduced since the original approval place greater emphasis on sustainable transport, active travel, and community well-being.

The planning report highlights potential impacts on transport infrastructure and local amenity, with updated assessments required, including a full flood risk study.

There is no confirmed date yet for when the revised plans will return to the council for a decision.