Indy donor and SNP council’s £40million land grab
THE SNP’s cronyism row deepened yesterday after a council it runs was accused of using £40 million of taxpayer’s money to benefit a party donor.
Perth and Kinross Council is planning to spend the money on efforts to support a site owned by Springfield Properties, which has donated nearly £100,000 to the SNP and the pro-independence campaign in the last three years.
The authority has set aside £40 million to spend on 32 separate compulsory purchase orders (CPOs), as well as build a new school and carry out a major upgrade of the A9/ A85 junction, which is a crucial link
‘The public will be demanding answers’
to the Bertha Park site where Springfield plans to build 3,500 new homes.
But critics have questioned whether the council is helping Springfield’s development because it is one of the SNP’s biggest business backers.
The revelations come after The Scottish Mail on Sunday last week exposed the close links between the SNP and Springfield and its chairman Alexander Adam.
Over a three-year period when Mr Adam or Springfield donated £100,000 to the SNP, the Elgin-based housebuilder has received a government loan, been selected to take part in a lucrative construction scheme where mortgages are guaranteed by ministers and been promoted by senior Nationalist politicians.
Now senior MSPs are calling for an investigation into the links between the firm and the SNP at council and government level.
Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser, finance spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives, said: ‘Given last week’s revelations of suspected cronyism in relation to this firm and the SNP, people will now be asking questions about the ins and outs of this controversial development.
‘The SNP has to realise it cannot shamelessly rub shoulders and offer limitless praise to a firm the Scottish Government appears to hand so much business to.
‘This is why the public will be demanding answers, and it’s about time some clarity was forthcoming on that.’
Springfield’s Bertha Park site is on land between Perth and Luncarty, next to the A9. It is within the Ochil and South Perthshire constituency of Nationalist MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, who received a £2,000 donation from Springfield earlier this year.
Councillors have already granted planning permission for the relief road. But the proposal has caused huge controversy – as it will impact on land at Perth Crematorium where hundreds of people’s ashes have been scattered. It will also impact on St Johnstone Football Club, which says building the road adjacent to its stadium will have a detrimental impact on its operations and even threaten ‘business viability’.
The Scottish Government’s planning appeals division is expected to hold an inquiry into the CPO proposals later this year.
Alex Cook, chairman of Luncarty, Redgorton and Moneydie Community Council, said: ‘The feasibility studies results were so perfect that we could see it was contrived.
‘There are a lot of suspicions from local people about the way the A85 is going and the money being spent on it. It is like Bertha Park is their goldmine and everyone will gain from it. It seems like they just want to get to Bertha Park and they will do anything to get there.’
He added: ‘You do wonder has there been some government influence in this and is it because they are donating to the SNP?’
The Scottish Government has also faced cronyism allegations in relation to a £2.2 million contract offered to Nugensis, a firm which has SNP donor and convicted fraudster Jamie Rae on its board, without being put out to tender.
And the SNP Government was criticised over a £150,000 grant to the firm behind T In The Park when it emerged prospective SNP candidate Jennifer Dempsie, a former aide to Alex Salmond, arranged access to ministers while working for organisers DF Concerts, which earns millions in profits.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie called for an ‘independent probe into these matters’.
A spokesman for Perth & Kinross Council said: ‘The privately-owned land at Bertha Park was identified as a future housing site more than five years ago, before being included in the Perth & Kinross local development plan, approved by the council in February 2014.
‘The Council had no involvement in selecting the developer of Bertha Park. The landowner chose to sell to Springfield Properties, which submitted planning applications in June 2015. ’
A spokesman for Springfield said: ‘Springfield is a successful housebuilder creating jobs and helping to build communities across Scotland. As such we have dealings with the Scottish Government and Local Authorities. These are conducted entirely appropriately and in line with relevant processes.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Springfield Properties is one of numerous successful Scottish businesses that the Scottish Government supports and works with, regardless of whatever political views may be held by the staff of those companies.’
‘There are a lot of suspicions ’