Friday March 20th 2026
Armadale's Nursery has been in private hands for more than 20 years. Various plans to convert or demolish it have come to nothing (credit: West Lothian Council)
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Stuart Sommerville
Armadale’s crumbling Edwardian nursery building has survived the wrecking ball again.
The school, on a prominent site in Academy Street, has seen several attempts to demolish it and replace it with a housing development of up to six homes.
But the Development Management Committee in Livingston was split on its future when the latest application from the building’s owners came up and Councillor Willie Boyle urged fellow members to back demolition saying: “Armadale deserves better” .
Lucas Land Purchases applied for permission to demolish the C-listed building.
An agent for the applicant told the committee that the firm wanted to clear the site and sell it on for development. Planning officers had recommended refusal citing as one of its main reasons that: “the applicant has failed to adequately market the property through a board sign at the application site and via the established property websites.”
The agent said the site had been marketed by two firms since 2009 – with a sale board on the site until recently.
The building has a lengthy planning history dating back 20 years with various proposals to convert it into housing, as the site has been designated, or to demolish and replace with new homes.
Councillor Pauline Clark said the building reminded her of the school she had attended and she added: “I was really quite I was really quite taken by the building.”
She conceded that if she lived as a neighbour to it she probably would have a different view.
A common theme emerged around the use of the existing stonework and architectural features in any new development on the site. It was suggested that if the application had been submitted alongside building plans it would be more acceptable.
Chief concern was the loss of a historic building – one of three school buildings on the corner site in the town dating from the late 1800s to 1906.
A report by planners added an additional reason for refusal provided by the Development Manager was that the loss of the listed building without the submission of details for a suitable replacement development would be detrimental to the historic townscape character and visual amenity of the area.
A report to the committee said: “This listed building is an asset to the local townscape and is of a stable structural condition, therefore, the council deems the building to be worthy of retention, provided all appropriate steps to do so have been undertaken.”
Planning officers said the building is still considered to be structurally sound but parts of the building are in very poor condition and that the owners had not demonstrated proper maintenance.
Councillor Boyle told the meeting: “If we refuse this we’ll be in the same position we were six years ago except the deterioration will be worse. There’s no merit in this building. There’s merit to elements of it, but it is now an eyesore.”
He added that if the DMC was to condition plans for new building on the site it would be a derelict site for years.
“It’s a difficult decision but Armadale deserves better,” he said.
Chair of the committee Councillor Harry Cartmill recommended refusal and said: “I haven’t been convinced that demolition is the way forward.”
In a vote the committee backed his proposals four to two.
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