Council could place new obligations on housebuilders

Housebuilders could soon be asked to help pay for health and social care facilities when planning permission is granted for new developments in Fife.

At the moment, Fife Council can request financial contributions for schools, play parks and other infrastructure.

Concerns have been expressed there is no similar mechanism to secure investment for health and social care sites despite the additional pressure new housing can place on GP practices.

Councillors, however, agreed consideration should be given during review of the Fife local development plan to allowing pursuit of health and social care capital investment in determining planning applications.

East Neuk and Landward councillor Bill Porteous proposed the change after anger in January that the impact on Tayview Medical Practice could not be taken into account when councillors were deciding whether 158 new homes could be built in Wormit.

There was similar frustration when 86 new houses were approved for St Monans last December.

After winning cross-party support in the council, Liberal Democrat Mr Porteous said: “Thanks to the new Planning Scotland Act 2019 enacted in Holyrood and the new local development plans coming soon in Fife we can make a difference to all our communities.

“I look forward to developers, NHS Fife, Fife Health and Social Care Partnership and our senior planning and legal officers within Fife Council working constructively together on this approach to planning contributions.

“Recent community representations in planning applications in Wormit and St Monans clearly indicated people’s concerns about the lack of GP frontline medical provision.

“I sincerely hope this motion being passed will in future go some way to make our local people feel more positively engaged in the whole planning process and not, as councillors across Fife hear far too often, highly frustrated by the process.”