FOI 26-157 Rothesay Station

Freedom of Information Request

Reference

FOI 26-157 Rothesay Station

Request Date

18 Mar 2026

Response Date

10 Apr 2026

Information Requested

I must first inform you that, Failure to answer a Freedom of Information (FOI) request within the statutory deadline (usually 20 working days in the UK) constitutes a breach of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I have already asked the question regarding what is going to happen to the SAS depot, located at Wallace Avenue, Rothesay. You refused to answer my question, I live across the road from the depot. You have now, today, had painted parking places, dedicated to electric vehicles, you had already put EV charging units in place. You stated there was no plan to purchase new electric vehicles in our last contact. I simply want to know what is going to happen to the building when you move your ambulances and crews down to the local police station, as it may impact the street parking along our road causing inconvenience to us who live here. I feel this to be a perfectly honest question, and would ask you fully reply. Should you not provide this information, that may cause problems at a later date by all the residents of this street. 

I do not believe that this facility can be repurposed into any of the stated aims here provided in a direct quote. I believe that you are not following the legal precedent, as follows, and I once again request that you tell me what the future plans are for the Ambulance depot, 6, Wallace Avenue, Isle of Bute. I do not believe you have followed the rules. Changing the use of a public sector-owned ambulance facility (typically classified as sui generis due to its unique nature) usually requires full planning permission from the Local Planning Authority (LPA). These facilities are often repurposed into community health centers, adult day centers, offices, or mixed-use developments. UK Parliament UK Parliament +4 Key Considerations for Change of Use Planning Permission: As ambulance stations are generally sui generis (in a class of their own), changing to another use—such as residential (C3), offices (E/B1), or community facilities (F1/D1)—constitutes a material change requiring planning permission. Permitted Development (PD) Rights: While some commercial properties can change use under PD rights (e.g., to residential), this often does not apply to sui generis health facilities, meaning a full application is required. Site Constraints: Potential issues include traffic, parking capacity (existing stations often have substantial parking), and constraints like Article 4 directions or Conservation Area status. 

Response

Your previous correspondence asked for clarification about future operational plans for the Wallace Avenue site. As outlined at the time, SAS did not hold any recorded information about future or confirmed changes of use for the building. Under section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), a public authority is required to notify an applicant where recorded information is not held. This was provided in our earlier response and did not constitute a refusal to answer, but a statement of information not held. - FOI 26-026 Rothesay Ambulance Station 

 

The Scottish Ambulance Service can confirm that there are no plans to relocate from the Wallace Avenue premises to the local Police Station. The building at 6 Wallace Avenue will remain in operational use by the Scottish Ambulance Service. The painted parking spaces and installation of electric vehicle charging points are intended to support the ongoing operational infrastructure of the Scottish Ambulance Service and do not indicate a change of use or future disposal of the site.