Dalgety Bay MSP Alex Rowley has warned caution must be taken to ensure a controversial planning application does not get through by the “back door”.
Ahead of a public meeting on Friday, he has asked to discuss his concerns with Fife Council’s enterprise and environment director, Keith Winter, about plans to build homes on agricultural land acting as a buffer zone between Dalgety Bay and the Braefoot Bay oil terminal.
The Barns Farm area was proposed as building land during the recent FIFEplan consultation process. Shell UK has put two sites on the market and Persimmon Homes is developing an outline planning proposal to build 150 homes.
Mr Rowley fears developers are attempting to use the fact Fife Council is failing to maintain a five-year housing land supply at the level set by the Scottish Government as a reason for a Scottish Government reporter to grant planning consent.
He said planning officers had advised him that any application being made would have to be considered by the full Fife Council because it is such a significant departure from the local plan and pending FIFEplan.
“And they say it may be difficult to process such an application within the four months, meaning the developer would be in a position to appeal on the grounds of non-determination,” he said.
“If this were to happen they would then use the argument that they are presenting in their technical paper around the significant shortfall in housing land supply and would be trying to get approval by the back door or, to be precise, from the Scottish Government on appeal. This cannot be allowed to happen, as it would be an affront to democracy and would make a complete mockery of the planning process.
“To be clear, I am not arguing for or against any development, as that will be a matter for councillors and the planning committee, but I am very concerned this developer may be able to avoid that process on the basis the council is unable to process the application within the timeframe and because it is failing to meet the required housing land supply.”
Dalgety Bay Community Council has organised a public meeting to be held at 7.30pm on Friday in Dalgety Church to allow residents to air their views.
Chairman Colin McPhail said Persimmon staged a public consultation last month but it “did not tell you anything”.
“We are saying no to it but they are persisting in going ahead,” he said.
Community campaign group Keep the Bay’s Living Space wants to encourage as many people as possible to turn up.
Persimmon Homes East Scotland’s managing director, Jim Kirkpatrick, said: “We are currently in the early stages of the Barns Farm development, having lodged a pre-application notice with Fife Council.
“Feedback and suggestions from a well-attended public consultation event and a forthcoming community council meeting will be carefully considered to determine the merits of submitting a formal planning application.”