Fife’s planning system has been branded ‘farcical’ by Dunfermline campaigners Calais Woods Conservation Group, the Dunfermline Press writes.
image: for illustration purposes only
… exasperated at news that plans will be resubmitted…
… had not broken the law – but if it fells any more trees it could become liable for prosecution…
Dunfermline Press writes (27 April 2021):
Calais Woods Conservation Group helped drum up 270 objections against plans submitted by Shepherd Offshore to create a southern access road serving new homes near the £180 million super campus site. When the developers withdrew proposals recently, the group celebrated a small victory, but are now exasperated at news that plans will be resubmitted and the campaign will need to start over again. It follows protests by the group against the felling of dozens of trees on land near Dunlin Drive (where the road was proposed) without warning last month.
Forestry Scotland investigated the incident and has since concluded that Shepherd had not broken the law – but if it fells any more trees it could become liable for prosecution. The saga has raised lot of questions for the conservation group about the planning system and its effect on communities.
Chair Martin Willcocks said: ‘It appears farcical and severely unfair that plans can just be pulled and then they can just resubmit. We put in detailed questions as there a lot of things that were not right and it was quite obvious that they were not right. The tree-felling should not have been carried out at the time either. We can only assume it was withdrawn because they knew it was going to be rejected. We feel as a group there is a severe lack of integrity, process and professionalism from Fife Council planners. Some of their actions do not seem to add up and their answers are always very vague, as if they are holding back.’
… Members say they have spent dozens of hours trawling through the pages of applications trying to make sense of the technicalities, only to hear they’ll have to go through the process again when plans are resubmitted. Former Fife MSP Jayne Baxter, who is secretary of the group, said: ‘For the community to have a voice, it takes an enormous effort… it begs the question, how can the community engage?’
Duloch dad Robin Irwin, who is a member of the group, added: ‘People feel short-changed. The application was fundamentally flawed but there were documents there that weren’t put up until the middle of the consultation…’
Fife Council service manager, Alastair Hamilton… added: ‘The views of the local community are being considered as part of the process. The Duloch masterplan is complex and ambitious….’
Original Report in the Dunfermline Press 21 April 2021 (no longer available)
