Livingston land sale to Cruden Homes for £4.9m imminent

West Lothian Council is on the brink of selling a prime piece of land at Toll Roundabout in Livingston to Cruden Homes Limited for a whopping £4.9 million. This 2.88-hectare site in the Kirkton area of Livingston is designated for residential development according to the West Lothian Local Development Plan 2018.

The council plans to use the funds generated from the sale of this unused land to finance upcoming infrastructure projects, including schools, parks, roads, and care services. This selling of unused assets serves as a crucial source of funding that enables the council to continue investing in essential services. Without this financial influx, there would be a significant shortage of funds to enhance local services in the future.

Despite various commercial bids for the land, no offers or expressions of interest were received from the community during the bidding process. Additionally, the council did not receive any requests for community asset transfers for this site.

After carefully evaluating all offers, the council considers Cruden Homes Limited’s bid of £4.90 million as the most favourable terms achievable under the circumstances.

The proposed development site falls within the catchment area of Peel Primary School, Howden St. Andrew’s Primary School, Inveralmond Community High School, and St Margaret’s Academy. However, any future construction on the site is contingent upon obtaining and securing planning permission, taking into consideration critical factors such as school capacity.

A comprehensive report compiled by council officers will be presented to the council executive in the upcoming week, seeking approval to proceed with the land sale. Should they obtain planning consent, Cruden plans to construct 77 units, including 19 affordable housing units. Cruden has also indicated that if they are unable to obtain approval for the planned 77 units, they will adjust their offer proportionately.

The Section 75 developer contributions will be determined chiefly by the number of units Cruden is permitted to build on the site. These contributions are intended to cover the costs related to providing local services and infrastructure to meet the needs of the growing population. Accurate quantification of these contributions will only be possible once a detailed planning application is submitted and approved.

A final decision regarding the sale will be made by the council executive in the following week, finalising the fate of this valuable piece of land in Livingston.

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