Formal complaints lodged against St Andrews Community Council over its stance on the proposed new single-site Madras College at Pipeland were “unjustified”, an internal investigation by the community council has concluded.
The Courier revealed last month that two parents, who are members of pro-Pipeland campaign group Parent Voice, had lodged formal written complaints, amid claims the community council had shown “utter contempt” for public opinion by objecting to the proposed Pipeland site and not consulting properly.
A community council investigations team, made up of St Andrews community councillors, had already concluded the organisation had no case to answer.
Now, in a letter just received by one of the complainers, St Andrews Community Council chairman Kyffin Roberts has confirmed that an internal investigation has revealed the community council acted properly and in line with the Community Councillors Code of Conduct.
Mr Roberts said: “The Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council believes it has carried out this requirement to the best of its ability and therefore regards (the) complaint as unjustified.”
But in a reply to Mr Roberts, one of the complaining parents, who asked The Courier not to name him, said he was “disappointed but not surprised” at the response and argued that the community council’s views should be discounted because it “technically does not exist”.
Emphasising that his complaint was as an individual and not as a member of Parent Voice, the parent said: “I think it’s a great shame that this complaint is being treated with so little urgency, and I’m genuinely surprised that the community council feel they behaved appropriately in all aspects of this debate.
“I would have thought a much simpler response would have been an apology, an agreement to consult and a more balanced submission to the pre-determination hearing.”
Quoting the Scheme for Establishment of Community Council’s rules that “a person holding office as an elected member of a community council will not act in the office of a community councillor unless he/she has signed a declaration accepting the office and undertaking to fulfil the duties of it”, his inquiries had revealed that six members of St Andrews Community Council including planning committee chairman Howard Greenwell, minute secretary Patrick Marks and chairman Kyffin Roberts had not returned paperwork to Fife Council.
He therefore argued the offices they hold are vacant, and elections should have been held for them many months ago.
He added: “On this basis, the community council does not have a chair or secretary, and arguably does not currently exist. Their votes should also be discounted from any previous debates. All of this clearly invalidates the submission of the community council on their preferred legal framework.”
Bill Welsh, committee administrator at Fife Council, said he had checked his files and he did not have signed forms from Dr Ian Goudie, Howard Greenwell, Patrick Marks, Audrey McAnaw, Meg Platt and Kyffin Roberts.
He added, however, that “this situation is not unusual”.
Mr Welsh confirmed the complaint in relation to St Andrews Community Council was investigated by the community council in terms of Stage 1 of the Complaints Procedure.
Fife Council’s North East Planning Committee will make a decision on the planning application in principle for a new Madras at Pipeland on Thursday.