Jackson Street School site housing plan

After leaving the site empty since the demolition, the ouncil have now drawn up plans for 14 "social housing units" to be built on the site in John Street / Jackson Street. Full details of plans are on the planning site here:
https://planning-applications.midlothian.gov.uk/OnlinePlanning/caseFile.do?category=application&caseNo=13/00239/DPP

An artists impression can be seen here:
https://planning-applications.midlothian.gov.uk/OnlinePlanning/files/FADF7E824E430319DAD138934D042A93/pdf/document-157121.pdf

You will see how the wonderful design really fits in with the other buildings in the area! If the council had got their act together years ago, they could have sold this site off along with the other brownfield ones at the YMCA on Kirkhill Road and behind the Craigiebield Hotel bringing in money. Now it seems that no developers want to buy them so they are going to spend more money (despite the regular protests that they are skint).

Never let it be said that local authorities were in the front rank (or even anywhere near it) when it comes to quality in architectural design!
And why, in heaven's name, are they sticking with that miserable strip of pavement? There is barely enough space for two people to pass let alone someone with a pram or a wheelchair, or even a child in tow!
Still it's better than a derelict site and the Daydream Tendency boring everyone with what they could do with it if only the evil councillors wouldn't get in their way.
Enjoy!

Later this year the council will have another site available when Pentland House closes so why not use that for "social housing" as it would be more appropriate and is much larger. I wonder how long Pentland House will sit empty for before they decide to do something useful with it?

The council really are going for it with "social housing" ast they now have plans for the open spave alongside the Loanburn behind John Street as well as the site behind the Craigiebield.
Plans can be seen here:
https://planning-applications.midlothian.gov.uk/OnlinePlanning/caseFile.do?category=application&caseNo=13/00247/DPP\
and here:
https://planning-applications.midlothian.gov.uk/OnlinePlanning/centralDistribution.do?action=dispatch&caseType=Application&caseNo=13/00231/DPP

Take care if you have any green or brownfield spaces near you as they might be building on them soon! As for anyone who thinks the plans might be rejected as unsuitable, you must remember that this is the council asking themselves if they can go ahead!

So, NIMBYism is - as ever - alive and well in Penicuik!

I note that the Penicuik Cuckoo also has objections to the John Street development as:

Quote :

previous council developments are in the north of the town and not in the town centre.

To me, that smacks of ghetto-ism, a product of NIMBYism.

Shame on you and your like-minded chums.

Or is it just that everyone is entitled to an opinion!!

As for the John Street development, personally I'd rather see it going to houses than lying empty and as for the pie in sky ideas being floated about opening a cinema, well it would be nice but I really can't see it getting beyond the cuckoo wish list - but hey, that's not being a nimby it's just an opinion...

I'm not sure about the Nimbyism, Lothian Lass. I think it's more that some people's noses have been put out of joint.
The Daydream Tendency (see my post above) have been desperate to get their hands on this site since long before the old building was demolished, as they have with just about every derelict building in the town! The Cuckoo appears to be a cheerleader.
Social housing seems the best use for it (in my opinion) as it does for any other brown-field site that can't find a commercial use.