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Anger at West Lothian plans to build on ashes of fallen heroes

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date22 March 2024
AuthorStuart Sommerville
Publication titleEdinburghLive (Scotland)
An emotional Harry Cartmill slammed proposals to build on the original site of the Bathgate's war memorial - land he argued that belonged to the town

The plan went before councillors in January and was rejected by the Development Management Committee. Now developers have appealed over the knock-back and a decision will be made by a Scottish Government appointed Reporter.

The war memorial was moved from its hillside in the 1990s as part of the a BBC Challenge Anneka TV series. The field, high above the town, is considered the final resting place of many who fought for their country.

In January local Labour councillor Harry Cartmill led an emotional argument against developing a site where many old soldiers had their ashes scattered.

TM Land Purchases have appealed against the council's refusal to grant planning permission in principle to develop the site which is a steeply sloping field on the northern fringe of the town.

There were more than 60 objections to the original proposal, including one from the town's community council.

The site is accessed by narrow, steep roads, which neighbours claimed would make the builder's access nigh impossible - never mind subsequent residential traffic.

However it was Councillor Cartmill's robust and emotional call to respect the site cherished by families for generations which carried the most weight at the original hearing.

The war memorial was unveiled there in 1925. Veterans Cottages, a street of homes for disabled soldiers, on the edge of the site is part of the memorial and Councillor Cartmill led an at times angry argument that the site should never have been sold.

He said the land was " Common Good" gifted to the people of Bathgate.

He told the January meeting of the Development Management Committee that he believed the land "had been sold fraudulently" by the council in 2002.

Councillor Cartmill said that many of the large beech trees on the site had been planted at the time the memorial was built and were treated by many families as memorials to...

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