Marathon settoreturn
RAGE group could take legal route
The Stirling Scottish Marathon will return to the city.
Organisers the Great Run Company officially launched the 2018 event at the Stirling Court Hotel yesterday (Thursday) after the runaway success of this year’s debut which saw more than 4000 runners take part.
Protesters were meeting yesterday (Thursday) to decide whether to fight on against the development on Park of Keir.
And pressure group RAGE have confirmed they will be discussing a possible legal challenge to the decision by Scottish Ministers to approve the scheme backed by Judy Murray and the Park of Keir Partners.
On Wednesday, local Government Minister Kevin Stewart gave the green light to the bid for a tennis and golf centre and luxury housing on the green belt site between Dunblane and Bridge of Allan. It has been touted as a
legacy to the achievements of the Murray brothers but there were more than 1000 objections to the scheme.
And in approving the blueprint, Mr Stewart went against the decision of reporter, Timothy Brian, who conducted the inquiry into an appeal against Stirling Council’s decision to turn down plans for the development.
Mr Brian rejected the appeal but Ministers backed the plans and said Mr Brian had not given enough weight to the economic value of the plans and regional significance of the proposed sports facility.
Speaking before the meeting, RAGE (Residents Against Greenbelt Erosion) spokesman Inga Bullen said: “We were astonished that Mr Stewart and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon have so little respect for the planning appeals process that they can disagree with the reporter’s recommendations and supply no evidence to support or justify this.
“They have shown no respect for local democracy. They have been influenced by a celebrity supported by PR and a media campaign presenting a very uncritical and optimistic gloss on this project which has a number of serious flaws which were immediately evident to anyone who looked at the details.
“We are looking at the details in the Report and the Decision notice.
“We have been inundated by expressions of support for our campaign as well as disgust at this decision.”
Stirling MP Stephen Kerr told the Observer he believed the only option open to the Park of Keir opponents now was to pursue a judicial review.
Mr Kerr has spoken out against the plans – describing as “spurious” the argument that the proposal will be in the national interest and benefit the economy.
He said: “No one denies the merits of a tennis academy, it’s quite simply in the wrong place.
“The SNP Government use ‘national interest’ and economic benefit as a rationale for their decision. That is completely spurious.
“It didn’t have to built on the greenbelt at Park of Keir to serve the national interest and many other deserving areas in and around Stirling could have benefited from the positive economic impact of the development.
“The only possible route open to those that have opposed this for years is to consider the expensive path of a judicial review.
“Should legal action support that option and the campaigners decide to progress that then I hope the SNP administration on Stirling Council have enough backbone to support it.”
Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, was aware many people living in the area strongly oppose the plans but says he will ensure their views will be represented as the scheme develops.
He said: “This announcement brings clarity on this project for local communities.
“I am aware that the decision taken will be very disappointing for many local people, whose views I have ensured have been fully represented throughout the process.
“As the plans develop further, I will continue to ensure that all my constituents views are represented and that the conditions imposed by the minister, which appear to address some of the main concerns raised, are adhered to.”
Councillor Alasdair MacPherson, Stirling Council planning convener, said: “We note the ministers’ decision to grant approval in principle for this application and we will review the detail of the decision notice once it has been issued to us.
“We will work closely with the applicant to find the most beneficial way to progress their project.”
Judy Murray’s controversial plans for a £40million development – including a tennis and golf centre and luxury housing at Park of Keir – were backed by Scottish Ministers after they overruled the findings of an independent reporter.
Proposals for the centre, on the green belt site between Dunblane and Bridge of Allan, including a museum and visitor centre, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, golf course, 150-bed hotel with conference facilities, sports