A councillor claims the closure of the only shop in a Fife village is down to European Union bureaucrats.
Last week The Courier revealed the grocery store in Strathkinness will close after the owners struggled to make ends meet.
The shop and post office has been at the heart of village life for years and its closure will be keenly felt in the community.
Owner Kevin Taylor insisted the venture was no longer viable citing a number of reasons, including a recent spate of roadworks.
The road outside his shop which relied heavily on passing trade was completely closed during the works, and his takings dropped by 70% as a result.
East Neuk and Landward councillor Mike Scott-Hayward is dismayed by the loss of the store and branded the complete closure of the road “crazy”. He insists it was all down to “one-size-fits-all” EU health and safety rules.
“The crucial issue here is that people stopped going to the shop because of the roadworks,” the councillor said. “When the road was closed, local people found an alternative solution by adding things like newspaper purchases to their supermarket shop.
“When the road reopened, they have simply not gone back to the local store. I have criticised these roadworks and regulation surrounding it in the past it is all down to EU-imposed health and safety legislation.”
Mr Scott-Hayward insisted European rules governing roadworks meant the whole of Strathkinness Main Street had been closed for the works, instead of just a small section.
“The road was closed in its entirety because that is what is required by EU health and safety legislation,” he said. “It is absolute nonsense our rural roads are far too small for such legislation. Sadly, it is all down to the one-size-fits-all approach taken by the EU.
“I feel very sorry for Mr Taylor and his family,” the councillor continued. “When your cash flow gets pushed below a certain margin it is very hard to recover.”