The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
In planning disputes, sometimes it’s simply good for all sides to talk
Change is bad.
It’s not a motto I stand by personally, but it seems to be a default position for a lot of people at the moment.
A number of applications have aroused interest this week, most notably in Aberdour and Anstruther.
Hundreds of people, to use a good Scots phrase, “went daft” at plans for housing in Aberdour, while people in Anster made their feelings clear on Fife Council and Fife Health and Social Care Partnership plans for a new care home at Bankie Park.
Locals have complained about a lack of consultation and poorly thought-out proposals. Comparisons to David and Goliath have been wheeled out on at least a couple of occasions.
It is entirely fair for all of those opposing to say these things should not go ahead.
However, the people behind the hotlycontested plans need something more constructive to work with than just a plain “No”.
Cala Homes tells us there a huge demand for homes in the Aberdour area and identified the Main Street site for a reason.
Fife Council says a replacement for Ladywalk House in Anster is muchneeded and that Bankie Park is the best location.
Elsewhere, west Fife is grappling with a looming classroom crisis. Most of the secondary schools are struggling to cope with the pace of housebuilding in the area and officials are scrambling around trying to adjust catchments to accommodate pupils.
Another development was given the go-ahead this week which will only exacerbate the problem in two primary schools in Dunfermline and, although the developer will be asked to fund extra accommodation to stave off a capacity crisis, it’s only a sticking plaster.
I’m not taking sides in these debates, but maybe by doing more to enlist local knowledge, developers will get the guidance they need to see projects come to fruition.
Meanwhile, the public might want to consider making more of an effort to constructively influence the planning process.
Houses and care homes are very much needed in Fife. A bit more foresight at all levels might increase the chances of schemes going ahead at a time and place that suits everyone.
Get in touch with your local office at Kirkcaldy or send a letter to The Courier at letters@thecourier.co.uk Hundreds of people ‘went daft’