MP taking project concerns to housing minister

SCOTLAND’S housing minister is facing pressure to call an investigation into a planning office’s handling of the highly divisive Scone North development.

Opponents to the 700-home village expansion were outraged when the application went before newly-elected councillors for a decision last month. They argued that it gave more than half of the members of the development management committee just days to get to grips with about 1,000 pages of submitted plans and more than 900 written complaints.

Two SNP councillors left the meeting claiming they had not had enough training to deal with the application.

The committee eventually voted eight-three in favour of the plan. However, a strict construction embargo was put in place, stating that only 100 homes can be built before work begins on the Cross Tay Link Road. The next 67 properties cannot be occupied until the multi-million-pound crossing, which will link the A9 to the north of Scone, is in place.

Now local government and housing minister Kevin Stewart has agreed to meet local MP Pete Wishart to discuss concerns. The Perth and North Perthshire MP said: “I was pleased I was able to have a constructive and useful meeting with representatives of the Scone community who are opposed to the construction of 700 houses. I am also delighted I will be able to put their concerns directly to the minister.

There are many outstanding and unsatisfactory issues surrounding this application and there must be an investigation into how this application has been handled so far.”

Lisa and Katie place flowers where Lisa’s twins are buried at the cemetery.