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Uodate on the closure of Hopes estate car park, Lammermuirs

Uodate on the closure of Hopes estate car park, Lammermuirs


Postby dickens96 » Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:13 am

Further to previous posts on this the Estate have now published the following on their Facebook page:

Thank you for your patience ... The Hopes Car Park will be opening for permit holders ‪only from Tuesday 13th‬ ‪April‬.

Permits will be available from Hoggs Newsagents in Gifford from this date. They will cost £5 and be valid for 30 days from the date of purchase. Your vehicle registration number will be entered onto the Permit. The Permit is only valid for that vehicle. The Terms and Conditions for use are printed on the back of the Permit and summarised below.
As previously mentioned all money made from the permits will go to local charities.

The Hopes car park is private property and is only available to those who have purchased a valid car park permit.

The Hopes Car Park is monitored by CCTV.

Open: ‪9.00 am–6.00 pm on Sunday‬, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursdays only.

Closed: Friday, Saturday & Mondays. The gates will be locked during closed periods.

You must display your valid permit, or your vehicle will be reported to the Police.

The car park is used at the vehicle owner’s risk. The Hopes Estate accept no responsibility for any damage whilst on The Hopes Estate.

Walkers are welcome at The Hopes but are reminded that it is a working farm


This is very disappointing as no mention was made in the original notification that there would be such restricted access times. Issues include:

Closure after 6 prevents people who work having easy access to the area in the evenings
Closure on Saturdays has the same effect
It is private land so the Police have no right to take any action against people parking there without a permit unless they are causing criminal damage - its a civil issue

I've raised the issue with the East Lothian Access Officer - the comments on the estate Facebook post are overhwelmingly against what is being proposed.
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Re: Uodate on the closure of Hopes estate car park, Lammermu

Postby denfinella » Thu Apr 01, 2021 8:58 pm

That sounds like bad news for walkers - I hope the estate reconsiders the arrangements. Having to go into a shop just to get access to a car park also isn't ideal at a time when we're supposed to be socially distancing.

It also sounds like you aren't guaranteed a space in the car park even if you buy a permit - unless they only sell the same number of permits as the number of spaces (which would be a massive waste since the permits are valid for a month, and no-one would use them every day).

I've also heard there have been some access issues around Yester House (east of Gifford) over recent years. Seems to be a problematic area re. access rights.
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Re: Uodate on the closure of Hopes estate car park, Lammermu

Postby Shepherd10 » Tue Feb 21, 2023 5:41 pm

The (new) car park is now subject to a retrospective planning application, 23/00059/P in the East Lothian Council area. Any objections by 2 March 2023 please. Many locals have already objected but it would be good to get some from non-local visitors to the area. The more objections the better as it will then go to committee. myself and others are lobbying Councillors on the Planning Committee. We are hoping that if it gets consent, it might be subject to conditions about open public access.
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Re: Uodate on the closure of Hopes estate car park, Lammermu

Postby dickens96 » Tue Feb 21, 2023 8:33 pm

I have objected as follows:

I object to this aplication on the grounds that it contains false or misleading information in the planning application form.

1. It states that the access and parking is not from a public road which is not the case as the road from which it is accessed is a public adopted road.
2. It states that does not affect public rights of access. This is not the case as the restricted opening hours of the proposed car park and the fact it will be permit only (of which only a few are issued at a cost of £5 a month) restrict the rights of access of the public, and in all respects restricts rights of access to this area.
3. The accompanying case document states that there is an issue with public parking. Apart from 1 or 2 weekends during the end of the covid lockdown this has never been the case, and for most times the area is deserted.
4. There are no designated parking spaces shown on the plan for people with disabilities.

In addition there are currently issues between the Estate and East Lothian Council Highways concerning access involving the obstructing of grass verge with unauthorised posts and boulders. This action is not only unauthorised but will also cause potential parking issues as publically accessible parking is restricted by these obstacles, and there is no open access to this large car park.

Should retrospective planning permission be granted it should be with the condition that the proposed car park is free access to the public at all times during the day without restriction or payment. Other estates not too far away (e.g. Baddinsgill Farm and Broughton Place) provide open access parking spaces without charge for walkers.
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Re: Uodate on the closure of Hopes estate car park, Lammermu

Postby WalkWithWallace » Wed Feb 22, 2023 9:17 am

Draconian!
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