Angry residents of a Fife village opposed to the banning of alcohol consumption in public plan to take their case to Scottish ministers, The Courier understands.
As expected, the majority of Fife’s councillors backed plans to include Falkland in the list of designated places covered by bylaws alongside fellow newcomers Auchtermuchty, Ceres, Crombie, Gateside and Strathmiglo.
But with a strong groundswell of opinion still against Falkland’s inclusion, locals will now write to the Scottish Government to highlight their objections during a one-month ”public inspection period” prior to the bylaws being formally promoted.
While some councillors have suggested that an element of common sense will be applied to the bylaws, some residents have branded the proposals unworkable a sentiment backed up by a 350-plus strong petition submitted to Fife Council against the plans earlier this year.
Former policeman and Falkland violin shop owner Bob Beveridge firmly believes the village’s tourism industry will suffer as a result of Thursday’s decision.
”The council is flying in the face of the majority of opinion in Falkland and it just seems to me that democracy doesn’t count any more,” he said. ”There’s been no trouble in the village all last summer and the alcohol-free zone isn’t in, so I don’t see what the problem is.
”Councillors are saying that it is coming in to prevent anti-social behaviour and well behaved people will not be prosecuted, but they are out of order saying that. There’s no discretion a bylaw is a bylaw.
”If somebody gets done and they go along to court with a press cutting of what councillors have said, I wonder if the sheriff would carry on and convict. It’s a very grey area.
”At the end of the day, the north-east Fife economy relies heavily on tourism. If you go into many tourist towns, people are sitting outside sitting in the sunshine enjoying a beer. They are not going to be able to in Falkland.”
While the alcohol-free zone is expected to be in place for Falkland by the summer, the inclusion of Auchtermuchty is subject to an exemption for the duration of the Auchtermuchty Festival which takes place in August.
That means the bylaws will not apply there in respect of the car park outside the Cycle Tavern, Burnside, the grassed area opposite the Cycle Tavern, Kilnheugh, the town square, the Station Park and the Low Road Park when the festival is in full swing.
Extensions to the existing bylaws to cover Balbirnie Park in Markinch have also been approved.
Discussing the issue at full council, administration leader Peter Grant said it was important that there is ”sufficient consistency” in how the bylaws will be applied and stressed the main aim was to protect people from the anti-social impact drinking can have.
”The responsible majority reluctantly will accept some restrictions of their liberties in order to cut down on the anti-social behaviour of the minority,” he said.
Councillor Grant added that the exemption relating to Auchtermuchty had been accepted on balance.
”There has been a record of good behaviour built up in Auchtermuchty that people can behave themselves and all the indications are that imposing the bylaws could potentially damage the festival,” he said.
”I have had bylaws in my ward for some time now and I have never once had a single person contacting me to try and remove the bylaws.”