I have always been opinionated about the bus station site in Dalkeith. It was not a bus station in recent years, it was a bus garage. When I was a kid, my mum and I travelled to Dalkeith to get the Gala bus at stance 13. We got off at Heriot at the wee White House on the left, just off the main road, where my gran and Uncle George lived. The house is still there but in the field opposite where my gran had her hens? well that's now a development of swish houses.
So when did the station become a garage? And where's the change of use planning application? I can tell you there was never a change of use application because I enquired and a young lassie at the planning office tried to tell me it has always been a bus garage. Aye right.
Here is the site from its hey day
And how it looked before the bus station was built when the train station existed. Pre Beeching I suppose.
Site Vacated by First Bus
When I was writing a monthly walk article for The Advertiser with Ian Brown, I was was asked to contribute to the 20 questions column and I stated that the one thing that depressed me in Dalkeith was the ugly asbestos roofed bus garage. Well the following week, 3 buses parked on the site were set alight and I hoped no one thought I had anything to do with it!
It was with some pleasure therefore that I heard the bus garage was being closed down because First Bus were closing off some of its bus routes. I am sympathetic to those who worked there. I hope they moved on to better, or at least secure, jobs. At last though we have a vacant building site and therefore an opportunity. I have lived for the day to see what is now a rather ugly building removed from Dalkeith.
Dalkeith Town
Now Dalkeith is not the prettiest town around but it does have a vibrant and exciting history. A group called the Town Heritage Initiative led by Rod Lugg are managing investment into upgrading the old buildings and preparing a town centre heritage trail. It's all very positive. At the Dukes end of Dalkeith the Cross Keys Hotel and the Corn Exchange are being re developed and all in all, there's lots of positive stuff going on that will make Dalkeith a much more attractive place to visit.
Then there's the local shops. People complain about the number of charity shops but I don't mind them at all. I use them, regularly. I gather they receive cheaper rates so maybe the lack of contribution to local tax is an issue. But is it? There are many more shops but I gather there's nothing like the array and quality of shops compared to pre 1970's. I guess this is a fairly typical picture around Scotland.
Planning Application from Morrisons Supermarket
I heard at this weeks Midlothian Council planning meeting that the bus garage site was about to receive a planning application from Morrisons Supermarket. You might think I would be pleased. But I am not. I don't believe it's the best use of this key site and the addition of a restaurant and leisure facilities above the supermarket does not sweeten the news. It deserves to have a flagship development to anchor the town centre to the opposite end at the Dukes, and make a statement to all who come to Dalkeith. It's the gateway to Dalkeith. Only recently I wrote about my concern that a corner restaurant next to the bus garage site was granted permission on appeal for some ugly imitation slate cladding. The site including this restaurant are ear marked for inclusion in the Conservation Area and therefore they should be developed to the highest possible standard.
In my time on community council I am constantly reminded on the need for facilities for children in Dalkeith. There are few or maybe none? I am not a parent and therefore not best qualified to comment on this but I am aware that young adolescents have no facilities locally.
But....money is tight and who is going to be able to build an all singing and dancing facility to cover our needs? And what is the best use of this key site?
So where do we go from here. Just accept the introduction of Morrisons and say, well its better than the ugly bus garage? Accept the arguments that because Tesco left Dalkeith for an out of town site that we deserve a replacement supermarket? Do we really need a supermarket IN Dalkeith? Do people still do their supermarket shopping in small towns and villages or do they take a car or bus to an out of town facility, or order on line? And what about the traffic from the proposed parking for a supermarket site? (Now I am sounding like a typical community council person, but they do have a point). Finally, do people really go to a supermarket and then visit the other local shops in a small town or village? I doubt it.
So I am with councillor Baxter, I don't believe a supermarket is the correct choice for Dalkeith and I do think the small shops will continue to suffer rather than benefit.
What do you think?
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