New Sick Kids to take off despite helicopter fears

Council officials will recommend the proposal for the facility at Little France is granted planning permission on Wednesday.

But many residents who live nearby have reacted furiously to the hospital’s new helipad, which will serve the Sick Kids and the adjacent Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Kenneth Campbell, who lives in Little France Mills, said: “I can assure you that 100 per cent of the residents do not wish this development in such close proximity to our properties.”

The council itself has acknowledged a “significant” number of people near the site will have their sleep disturbed, with the number of journeys estimated at six per week initially – and forecast to increase.

However, bosses said the scheme was in the public interest.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has also objected, saying flood-risk plans are incomplete.

However, NHS Lothian insiders say they hope to appease Sepa before work begins.

The development, which will replace the hospital at Sciennes, relies on a new helipad being part of the plans.

Unless emergency patients can arrive by air, the hospital would risk losing key services to Glasgow.

There is already a helipad at the ERI, but the Evening News revealed earlier this year that it was “almost useless” and had to reject two-thirds of proposed landings because of poor visibility.

The new pad would a mean air ambulance patients no longer having to land at Edinburgh Airport and be rushed across the city by road.

The council’s own environmental assessment stated noise levels could be 86 decibels, which is double the limit for sleep disturbance recommended by the World Health Organisation.

The report described the noise caused as “annoying, disturbing and intrusive”, and added that helicopter activity was as likely to take place at night as during the day.

It also stated that the aircraft could waken infants during nap times at the nearby Acorns Nursery.

Louise and Kevin Mclean, who also live at Little France Mills, added: “There has been no consideration regarding the negative effect on the value of our property by such large scale development being situated so close.”

Although the council is sympathetic with such views, it is expected not to place hurdles in front of a project which has already been severely delayed.

The hospital was originally planned to open at the end of next year, though health chiefs now predict it will not be ready until 2016 at the earliest. Sources say even that forecast is fanciful.

Among the problems has been how to fund it. The Scottish Government initially told the health board capital money would be used, but last year changed its mind and said private finance was needed.

The council’s head of planning John Bury said: “The overriding, wider public, need for the development outweighs any associated amenity impacts.”

NHS Lothian did not want to comment before a decision had been taken.