We, the undersigned, are members of the Symington community and local area, and we strongly oppose the proposal to repurpose the former Townend Care Home in Symington into a drug, alcohol and addiction rehabilitation facility.

Symington is a small rural conservation village of around 1,600 residents. The Townend building sits directly beside several family homes, sharing a driveway with neighbouring properties, and lies in very close proximity to a newly developed family housing estate. Locating such a facility in this setting would have a significant and lasting impact on the safety, wellbeing, and character of the village.

We are particularly concerned that the operator, Enhance Healthcare (Enhance Scotland), runs a comparable facility at Calderglen House in Blantyre, which accepts individuals directly from the prison system as well as those undergoing rehabilitation. We have been advised that the same model is intended for Symington. Calderglen is located in  an extensive 10 acres of private grounds, within a town of 17,000 residents with the infrastructure to support it. This shows the model depends on extensive grounds and an urban setting, making it wholly inappropriate for a small rural conservation village like Symington.

Our objections include:

• The unsuitability of the location within a small rural village with limited infrastructure and services.
• Concerns about road safety: narrow, unlit access roads and increased traffic from staff, visitors, ambulances and taxis.
• The impact on residential amenity for homes within 3 metres of the site, and on the wider heritage and character of the conservation village.
• The availability of more appropriate urban or purpose-built locations, with access to transport, medical facilities and specialist services.
   

We therefore call on:

• South Ayrshire Council to ensure that any planning or change-of-use application for this site is rejected on the grounds of unsuitability of location, traffic safety, and harm to community wellbeing and conservation character.
• The Care Inspectorate to carefully consider whether registering such a facility in a small village, in immediate proximity to family homes, is appropriate.
   

We ask decision-makers to listen to the concerns of Symington residents and ensure that any future use of this site respects the needs, safety, and character of our community.