Doubts have been cast over plans to build homes on the Forth Park Hospital site at Kirkcaldy after the hospital closes.
It was suggested that the land had been donated to the people of Kirkcaldy in the late 1920s or early 1930s.
These concerns came to light just a day after we revealed councillors had tentatively supported NHS Fife’s plans to sell the site for housing at some point in the coming years.
While the principle of housing was backed by the Kirkcaldy area committee, designs currently lodged for 69 properties were not and it was stressed that a future, more detailed application would have to come back before councillors for approval at a later date.
However, it is understood the issue of land ownership could also come into question after it emerged the house and grounds had been donated to the town by Mrs R. Wemyss Honeyman of Westdean, daughter of linoleum proprietor John Nairn who purchased the land.
Forth Park, which has housed the town’s maternity services since 1932, is expected to close in the spring of 2012, when services will move into nearby Victoria Hospital’s £172 million new wing.
It is understood a number of councillors queried the issue of the land after the meeting and are set to look into the matter further ahead of any renewed application coming forward.
Ann Watters, who chairs Kirkcaldy Civic Society, said she would be very keen to find out what the outcome of the investigations are.
“I would have thought the whole thing was given over to the town as a maternity home,” she said. “To my mind it’s a beautiful house and if something is in the common good the money is ring-fenced. If it was for the people of Kirkcaldy, I would doubt that has changed.””Hornet’s nest”She said finding out the rights and wrongs of who is entitled to what may ultimately be a “hornet’s nest” for those pursuing it.
Under the plans, the main hospital is expected to be razed, while the B-listed mansion house and stables will be altered internally.
An NHS Fife spokeswoman said their position was there should be no issues regarding the application.
“The issue of ‘common good’ in relation to the mansion house at Forth Park Hospital was raised at a public consultation event in June 2010, prior to the planning application for the potential redevelopment of the hospital site,” she said.
“The matter was investigated at that time and NHS Fife understand there are no issues that should affect the planning application.”
Councillor Alice Soper, who chairs the Kirkcaldy area committee, has already expressed concern about the design put forward and again stressed that, although the principle of housing has been supported, the current plans have not.
She also highlighted continuing concerns about consultation with the public, suggesting the consultation took place in a corridor of the hospital and that elected members were not informed.
“The plan which has been submitted is not an acceptable design solution and that’s the important thing residents need to know,” Councillor Soper said.
“While no-one is upset about the development in principle, this design is not what’s going to be there. It’s been said that local members were consulted, but I was not invited and neither were the three local councillors in fact the consultation was abysmal.
“We must express our disappointment in this and that residents didn’t have ample opportunity to find out what was being proposed.”