Fife Council planners blasted following series of bungles

Council officials have been slammed for their handling of a contentious Fife planning application.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman has issued a scathing report following a probe into the construction of a 54 foot “pergola” in the garden of a St Andrews pub.

Locals had warned the structure at the West Port Bar would “scar” the town’s historic conservation area.

However, the development was given the green light after a series of bungles by council planners.

The ombudsman’s report reveals they:

*wrongly reported no objections had been received

*approved the application before the end of a statutory consultation period

*failed to assess the impact on the conservation area

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