Aberdour residents ‘deeply concerned’

Planning rumpus leads to call for application to be withdrawn while case is investigated

Aberdour residents are “deeply concerned” after a recommendation was given to approve a housing development in the village.

The controversial Cala application for 85 new homes on farmland at the east edge of the village, south of the A921, is subject to more than 850 objections.

It is one of two major developments at sites in Aberdour being considered by West Planning Committee this afternoon.

Councillors have been given a recommendation to refuse an application from Campion Homes for 80 houses at Nether Bouprie Farm to the west of the village.

The meeting will also see decisions taken on other major developments including plans to transform the derelict Pilmuir Works in Dunfermline into a flats complex with commercial floorspace and Taylor Wimpey’s application for 295 homes at Spencerfield, Inverkeithing.

An Aberdour resident has called for Cala’s application to be withdrawn while the circumstances surrounding the case are investigated.

A spokesperson for Easter Aberdour Residents Group said: “Questions remain unanswered about the

There is no balance in the planning system when developers can simply dig in for the long haul and get what they want. MP LESLEY LAIRD

circumstances surrounding the change in planning officer very late into the assessment process.

“These concerns are being formalised to Fife Council and the Royal Town Planning Institute. The community is concerned at the apparent lack of equity in this assessment process.

“Two applications for development in Aberdour, with striking similarities, have now been assessed and Fife Council’s planning department arrived at contrasting decisions for each.

“Residents feel neither is appropriate and are deeply concerned about this seeming lack of consistency in planning recommendations. Until Holyrood revises the process to provide a level playing field, we look to our councillors to protect communities from a system that fails to provide equity between developers and the community.”

Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP Lesley Laird said communities like Aberdour had lost trust in the planning process. She added: “When developers don’t take no for an answer and come back time and time again it really highlights why the current planning system is long overdue for reform.

“There is no balance in the planning system when developers can simply dig in for the long haul and get what they want. The proposed new planning reform Bill is an opportunity to fix this type of loophole.

“Unfortunately, for Aberdour, it’s likely to come too late. I would therefore urge the West Planning Committee to look very carefully at these developments and take the bold step to restore some confidence in local democracy for the community.”