A dark day for trust and democracy
Dear Editor The decision to approve the Blackthorn Place housing proposal really is a dark day for local democracy.
PKC planners were steadfastly intransigent throughout the process and would not reduce the excessive house numbers to be built on this small tract of land, despite enormous local opposition, which they disregarded.
They simply would not listen to anybody who dared suggest this project represented massive over-development.
They seemed much happier to side with the developer’s wishes than was healthy.
So, over development is what we will get and this will give rise to an oppressive density of housing where folk will be living “cheek by jowl”.
Suggestions to cut the number by around 20 units in order to create more open space and a better living environment were rejected out of hand.
They even misrepresented the truth in their own report to the committee prior to the meeting, for which they had to apologise.
Indications are that some of the elected members were not familiar with the proposed site, and if that is true then how on earth could they know if the site was suitable to accommodate 71 houses!
The whole episode stinks and also reflects badly on the Scottish Government who were aware of concerns around the performance of PKC’s planning department, but chose to sit on their hands.
Everyone understands that affordable housing is a hot political topic at the moment, but that does not justify throwing up excessive numbers of dwellings on small plots in the wrong location.
In this case, local democracy and public trust have been pushed to the very margins and that should be of great concern to everyone. Name and address supplied