Inn as house not on, say councillors

The Courier, 7 June 2001

The Campaign for Real Ale said yesterday it was "delighted" that Fife councillors had recognised the important role played by village pubs in community life, after council members rejected - at least for the time being - an application to turn one of Scotland’s oldest coaching inns into a house.

The applicants, Alister and Anne Fraser, had applied to subdivide and alter the Cambo Arms Hotel, Kingsbarns, to form a twin residence.

The pub, on the site for 400 years, has been closed since November 2000 and the owners have argued that the business is not viable, pointing out that all efforts to market the property as a pub have failed.

However, on the advice of Fife Council’s planning service and after hearing that hundreds of villagers had petitioned against losing their only hostelry, east area development committee members agreed to unanimously refuse the application on the grounds that the bar was a central pivot of community life.

They are now asking the applicants to go away and see if they can once again market with a view to selling the pub.

However, it is understood that the applicants have blamed the demise of the pub on locals failing to use the premises.

The case for refusal of the housing plan was outlined by planning official Nick Brian who said this was an "unusual application" which he understood to be the first of its kind in Scotland.

He said this would not normally be an issue in planning matters but with European human rights legislation and the CAMRA campaign the contribution made by village pubs to the "vitality and viability" of a community was now of national consideration.

He said there were also doubts as to whether enough had been done to market the property.

But he added that if the owners went away and tried again and still failed, they could always come back before the committee perhaps with a stronger case.

Probed by local councillor Peter Douglas whether there was a law which compelled a pub owner to apply for a licence or run a pub business, Fife Council law and administration manager Harry Tait confirmed a licence was required to run a pub but said there was no law of enforcement if a publican decided to stop.

Concern was expressed by Mr Douglas that the council might face losses were this to go to an appeal. However, Mr Tait advised the committee not to worry about that at this stage.

Committee chairman Frances Melville said that pressure should be put on the council’s economic development service to help the Frasers with their efforts to re-market the premises.

Yesterday The Courier made contact with the Cambo Arms owners but they declined to make any comment, adding only that the matter was in the hands of their solicitors.