I WOULD say that the planning authorities should ensure that the developers of the Cocklaw Street planning application should include a new health centre for Kelty in their plans.

A development of 800 houses is a really massive one and surely is the biggest in the village’s history.

The lack of affordable housing is something that has been highlighted in the Times on many occasions and obviously this Cocklaw Street development would be welcomed in many ways.

But Alex Rowley’s worries about the pressures on the schools and health centre are something that simply will happen as the homes at Cocklaw are constructed.

A total of 800 houses is bound to increase the population of the village by about 2,000 people of all ages.

So the pressure on the health centre would be massive, albeit it would be a gradual process.

And surely it has to be something that it addressed now and not once the houses start going up.

Mr Rowley pointed out that the village’s two primary schools are already quite full so an increase in the population of 2,000 is certain to push Kelty PS and St Joseph’s over the top.

I would suggest the first 150 homes being built would do that so maybe not just a new health centre should be included in the plans but also a new school.

You would have thought that the developers would have done their homework on Kelty before they sought to build 800 homes in it and would be aware of the school capacity and also the limitations of the health centre.

They had to known that there would be a requirement for an increase in capacity in both factors so this should be no surprise to them.

Hopefully they will not be hard to deal with over this issue for the village needs homes but also suitable facilities to cope with the increase in population. As I read somewhere it could be a win-win situation for Kelty.

HEALTH WATCH,

Kelty