Complaints.

Carnegie reads that a developer, who failed to be granted a planning application, has lodged a complaint about the conduct of a group of Fife Councillors involved in the planning decision.

Given Fife Council's record on planning matters, Carnegie wouldn't be surprised if something is amiss, but we will wait to see what the outcome of the complaint is. It is after all, not the first time that a developer who lost a planning application has lodged a complaint in advance of a later appeal.

"A HOTEL chain refused permission for a new hotel in St Andrews has lodged a complaint against five Fife councillors involved in the planning process. Crerar Hotels accused the four St Andrews ward councillors and chairman of the north-east Fife area committee Andrew Arbuckle of breaching the councillors’ code of conduct due to conflict of interest. The complaint was lodged with the Standards Commission last Friday, before Wednesday’s meeting of the committee where the decision to refuse planning permission for the 80-bedroom hotel beside Kinkell Braes caravan park was taken. The company, which is to appeal the decision, alleges neither Mr Arbuckle nor councillors Frances Melville, Dorothea Morrison, Bill Sangster and Robin Waterston should have taken part in the process, which included a departure hearing in October. It claims their involvement with various local bodies—among them St Andrews Links Trust and St Andrews Harbour Trust—constituted a serious conflict of interest."

Sorry.

It appears that Fife Council's planners have gotten it wrong again.

"FIFE COUNCIL have been asked to apologise to two residents after the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) ruled a complaint over a planning issue had not been properly dealt with. The SPSO, which acts as the country’s public services watchdog, also suggested that the council should review their system of dealing with errors in application plans to avoid situations in which members of the public might be misled. The SPSO’s ruling followed the complaint by two neighbours who claimed the council had not taken appropriate planning enforcement action in respect of a new house being built adjacent to their respective properties."

Oops.

In For A Poundbury.

In case you missed this ....

"A DOZEN members of staff from Fife Council have just taken part in a £2400 trip to Dorset to attend a training event at the Poundbury sustainable urban development developed by Prince Charles’s Duchy of Cornwall on the outskirts of Dorchester. The group travelled south last week for the two-day trip, described by a senior planning official as being part of the council’s “commitment to developing the skills and knowledge of its staff.” Yesterday the move was questioned by north-east Fife independent councillor Mike Scott-Hayward, who said that, while some sort of council fact-finding visit might have been appropriate, the high number of people who travelled and the apparent absence of any councillors on the trip was not acceptable. “Who is ruling the roost here?"

Carnegie wouldn't mind, but Fife's planners have a terrible track record of performance as he has previously and often highlighted, and Fife Council is making cuts to its budget which are hitting a lot of vulnerable people very hard.

Planning To Fail ... Officially.

Carnegie wished he could see he was surprised by these figures for Fife. He wasn't.

"PLANNING DECISIONS taken by councillors across Tayside and Fife were overturned almost 100 times on appeal in 2007/08, new Scottish Government figures show. The annual report from the planning appeals directorate suggests householders and other would-be developers are more willing than ever to challenge the rulings of elected members ... Directorate reporters handled 1279 appeals from across Scotland, upholding 477 of them (37%) ... Developers seeking to overturn the refusal of planning permission was by far the most common reason for an appeal, followed by attempts to have enforcement action ordered by councils cancelled. There were 15 successful appeals out of 33 in Angus (45%), 23 of 52 in Dundee (44%), 30 of 79 in Perth and Kinross (38%) and 29 of 85 in Fife (34%)."

Fife Council has an appalling track record of defending its planning decisions. These figures bear that out. They really need to get their house in order.

Houses For Sale.

And yet another failure for Fife Council in attempting to uphold one of their decisions to refuse a planning application for eighty homes on the site of an industrial estate.

"THE future viability of a Dalgety Bay industrial estate has been called into question following the decision to allow houses to be built there. Following an appeal, Scottish ministers decided that around 80 homes could be built on the former OCLI site at Ridge Way, Hillend Industrial Estate. Fife Council had originally rejected the application but Cala Homes’ appeal was upheld and ministers said there was “little likelihood of future employment use” at the site. And councillors at a meeting yesterday (Wednesday) were told there are fears “that loss of the land to residential use would create an undesirable precedent across Fife”.

If Fife Council and its planners can't even justify and successfully defend refusing a planning application for residential housing on an industrial estate then that raises major questions about whether there are other gaps in its local development plans which other developers will be able to exploit. And one of them is bound to have a go given house prices in Dalgety Bay.

Not So Flat.

Carnegie seems to think that this planning issue in Halbeath could become another one of those legendary and fundamentally frustrating planning applications which could be mishandled by Fife Council.

"HALBEATH residents are being given tips by campaigners from Crossford on how to prevent a six-storey block of flats being built. There are concerns about an application by Urban Investment which would see the old Hotel Roma and some garages demolished to make way for 108 flats."

Over one hundred flats and a six storey building on the site of an old hotel seems a bit extreme to Carnegie, but he wonders what the final decision by Fife Council will be? Even if they decide will they be able to defend their decision if there is an appeal?

Tesco Town?

Carnegie wonders what the long term impact of this planning approval for Tesco in Dunfermline will actually be?

"SUPERMARKET giant Tesco has been given the nod to set up shop in Dunfermline city centre. The green light came at a meeting of the City of Dunfermline area committee on Monday. Concerns had been raised prior to the meeting about the impact on the city centre economy but councillors believe the benefits far outweigh the risks."

Here's hoping that the Councillors are correct, but can Dunfermline sustain four large supermarkets or is the town in danger of becoming overshopped? Tesco are trying to take over the world.

Weighty Problem.

So, Carnegie sees that our politicians have finally woken up to the problem that is Fife Council's Planning Department.

"CONCERN is growing in West Fife that the council’s planning department is struggling to cope under the “sheer weight” of applications being submitted. Dunfermline and West Fife MP Willie Rennie is concerned that major developers may pull out of the area because of delays in the process caused by a shortage of experienced staff. But the council has said things are improving and more officers have been recruited to pick up the slack."

Carnegie isn't sure whether it is "weight" of applications or the more likely scenario of a chronic and long standing lack of resources which has been highlighted previously and manifested by Fife Council being unable to defend a whole series of planning refusals. They should sort it out.

Un-Strategic.

It would appear that Councillor Bob Eadie is trying to get his name in the papers by complaining about plans to shake up strategic planning, despite the fact that the previous Labour administration in Fife supported the move, as did Councillor Eadie's own Labour MSP wife, Helen Eadie.

"A councillor has warned that the city regions process, whereby the Kingdom’s strategic planning will be tied in with Edinburgh’s and Dundee’s, could be “the thin end of the wedge”. Labour councillor Bob Eadie fears Fife’s police and fire services could be merged with other areas by Scottish ministers as the next stage. He also accused the SNP and Lib Dem council administration of not defending Fife’s interests. However, Mr Eadie’s comments have been dismissed by Fife’s planning chair John Beare, of the SNP. He pointed out that it was Mr Eadie’s own party that was behind the planning shake-up when it was in power at Holyrood and that his wife, MSP Helen Eadie, had voted for it."

Er ... bit of an oversight that Councillor Eadie seemed to forget Labour's role in the change he is now opposing, but clearly the Eadies don't talk over the dining room table about strategic planning issues. "How was your day in the Parly, Helen?"

Sounds Like A Plan.

"A NEW single Local Plan for West Fife is being developed to shape the development of all land and buildings in the area. The Local Plan will set out a detailed picture of where and how new developments will be and show what is proposed for West Fife communities over the next 10 years ... This new Local Plan will cover the area from Kincardine in the west to Aberdour in the east and will replace the three existing local plans for these areas.Before any decisions are taken and the Local Plan is prepared, Fife Council's development services want to gain people's views and comments on how they would like to see their towns and villages develop over the next 10 years.Eight weeks of consultation will begin on May 19, with residents given the opportunity to view an "Issues and Options" paper accompanied by a CD including details of potential development sites in the area."

Well, tired, like Carnegie, of Fife Council's Planning Department, now's your chance to get involved. There's no excuse.

Cock-up.

So Carnegie reads of yet another cock-up by Fife Council's Planning Department.

"ANGRY councillors say they have been "hamstrung by a failure in the planning system". Approving plans to build 49 homes on the site of a former town ice rink, Glenrothes Area Committee was forced to admit it had missed a chance to include a toucan crossing in the development. Planning team leader Stuart Wilson said the provision of a pedestrian crossing had been raised earlier in the process, but it had not been formally included as a condition when outline planning permission for the development was given."

It could have been worse. Fife Council's planners have a record of getting it wrong. And it isn't getting any better.

Planning enforcement.

So, "A NEW Guide on how Fife Council deals with people who fail to stick to planning regulations is being compiled, with the authority insisting it will act against anyone breaking the rules. Fife Council is in the process of putting together a Planning Enforcement Charter which will give customers advice and information on the subject."

Given Fife Council's appalling record on defending its planning refusals, they have obviously given up on trying to do that and will instead be pursuing Joe Public for minor breeches of planning laws. Anyone for a new conservatory while you still have a chance of getting one? It would be easier to get a new quarry.

Planning for failure ... again.

Carnegie reads that yet again Fife Council has lost yet another appeal against one of its planning refusals.

"A PLANNING application to redevelop St David’s Harbour in Dalgety Bay has been approved by the Scottish Government, despite opposition from residents and Fife Council. The decision by the government reporter to allow developers Eadie Cairns to begin work at the harbour brings a long-running saga to an end. Fife Council and the town’s community council had opposed the project because the developer planned to build a large number of flats. Residents were keen for the area to be used for leisure facilities, and in particular new bars and restaurants. But, after a two-day public inquiry in September, the reporter has decided to allow the project to go ahead."

Carnegie has said all of this before but what is the point of Fife Council taking planning decisions and then not being able to defend them when they are challenged? Carnegie reckons that the Council have lost at least three planning appeals in as many months and Mr Carnegie thinks that the Council needs to put his own house in order, otherwise it is local people and communtities that will pay the price for their failure, again ... and again ... and again.

For sale?

Carnegie reads that "ELECTRONICS manufacturer Cemtron’s bid to shut its three sites in Fife and move into the empty Lexmark factory could be scuppered by Fife Council. The firm wants to sell its Dalgety Bay site for housing and use the cash to buy the Rosyth plant, expand its business and bring in new jobs. But Cemtron’s current site, in Hillend Industrial Park, is zoned for employment use only and the fear is they will pull the plug on Scotland if they don’t get the green light."

Carnegie suspects the proposal is nothing short of economic blackmail: give us planning permission for a housing development or we will go elsewhere.

The view of Fife Council should be very simple. Consider the planning application as just that and nothing else. If it stands up and should be approved then approve it, but let's not give way to any developer or property owner trying to hold a gun to the Council's head, especially given the recent experience of Lexmark. It has after all been less than a year since Lexmark shut their former facility in Rosyth with the loss of 700 jobs. Perhaps we should be taking the promises of new jobs by any business with a big pinch of salt.

Bad planning.

Carnegie reads in this week's Dunfermline Press that: "A FORMER council worker has claimed staff cuts, low morale and bitterness over pay rates caused turmoil in West Fife development control (the planning) department."

Carnegie is really not surprised by these revelations, indeed he is willing to bet that Fife Council has one of the lowest rates of any council in Scotland in successfully defending appeals against it planning decisions, and in managing successfully to enforce the planning conditions which it imposes on developers, whatever the scale of the development.

Carnegie thinks it just isn't good enough. The people of Fife have a right to expect that the correct decisions are made, and when they are made that they are enforced: he doesn't think they are being on either score. A pat on the back to the Press for highlighting the issue which too many Fifers have found themselves on the wrong side of.