Kingsbarns Community Council expressed delight that a “very large and inappropriate” housing development was turned down by Fife Council.
Fife Council’s north east planning committee voted by 11 votes to two against the application by Ogilvie Homes for 18 executive houses on a site to the west of the village, north of Station Road.
The community council said that if the developers appeal it is ready to “continue the fight”.
But the community council said it was concerned at the “scandal” of a situation which emerged during yesterday’s debate.
Councillors were told that two of 12 affordable houses previously built as part of an associated development to the south of Station Road had seen equities sold privately due to lack of demand, despite there being huge affordable housing waiting lists in the area.
Kingsbarns Community Council chairman Huw Lloyd Richards said he was concerned that Fife Council had not taken up the opportunity to take over these two “lost” properties as council houses.
He told The Courier: “What became clear in the crate was that the application (for 18 homes) contravenes a number of key national and local policies.
“The developer ignored the reporters’ guidance on the site size pushing the boundary of a conservation village into prime agricultural land, failing to retain the view by obscuring it with two-storey houses when he had already specified single storey, and also failing to mitigate the lack of affordable houses by providing none.
“The community are wholly opposed to the urbanisation of our conservation village and the Fife planning officer referred to our ‘town’ and to appropriate urban development in what is a rural area.
“We are very appreciative off the representation that our three councillors Riches, Macgregor and Docherty gave by achieving this democratic result of 11 votes to two.
“We now turn our attention to ensuring this decision stands and is not overridden by appeal to the reporter.“
East Neuk and Landward Fife councillor Elizabeth Riches said: “I’m really disappointed that two affordable houses have been lost to the community through circumstances that could have been prevented but feel the right decision has been made overall to turn down the proposal for 18 houses.”
Kingsbarns Community Council had warned that if the committee approved the application it would give a green light to all developers and landowners that “breaching development and local plans is the way to increase profits at the expense of local communities”.
The development was recommended for conditional approval by Fife Council planning service.
In a report to councillors, planning official Alastair Hamilton said the site was part of a larger land allocation in the local plan for housing.
It was acknowledged that the proposal did not fully comply with the terms of the development plan with respect to the proposed development outwith the existing settlement boundary.
However, as detailed in the main body of the report, he said it is considered that this area is integral to ensuring a high quality development that would respect the character and appearance of the surrounding area.
East Neuk councillor Elizabeth Riches, seconded by East Neuk member John Docherty, moved refusal on grounds that part of the proposed development was outwith the village envelope.
Howe of Fife member Donald Lothian, seconded by Tay Bridgehead member Bill Conner, moved approval, as recommended by the planning officials.