Tuesday, 23 March 2004

Utopia in West Lothian?

There is a plan to build a small new town in West Lothian:
The proposal to build 1,200 homes, a school, health centre, sports hall and factory space, backed by the Kwit-Fit tycoon, Sir Tom Farmer, may be given the green light by councillors.
No real surprise here given the booming house market in nearby Edinburgh.

But this plan is newsworthy:

Among the ambitious plans for Whitecross is that it should be a sanctuary free of crime and other social problems - with its own policing, transport and refuse collection.
Excellent. I do hope that this development goes ahead. What lessons will the councillors of West Lothian (Lab 17, SNP 12, Con 1, Other 2) learn if a privately policed town becomes "free of crime and other social problems"?