Council's timetable called into question

The Courier, 22 June 1999

A leading opposition councillor has questioned Fife Council’s ability to continue with its strategic overview for golf-related developments at St Andrews.

Liberal Democrat Frances Melville said yesterday that in light of the continuing confusion over the status of the proposed multi-million pound golf and leisure complex for Feddinch, it would be a “serious mistake” if the council's timetable for consideration of the plans was adhered to.

Mrs Melville (St Andrews West and Strathkinness) is a member of Fife Council’s strategic development committee.

She was in St Andrews town hall on Thursday when the special hearing was held to consider the three applications for Feddinch, Scooniehill and Kingask.

The aim of the meeting was to give both sides a chance to express their views before the applications are considered by the East Area development committee on June 29.

They are then due to be decided by a special meeting of the centrally-based strategic development committee on July 7.

But following Dundee-based business man Michael Johnston’s claim that he had submitted modified plans for Feddinch prior to the hearing - claims which have been rejected by the council - Mrs Melville said a strategic overview could not proceed when the facts for all three developments were not known.

She has now written to Fife Council’s head of planning, David Rae, to clarify the proper procedure in planning terms.

Mrs Melville says she found it astonishing, as did members of the public who attended Thursday’s meeting, that there was such confusion surrounding the Feddinch application.

She said that if proper procedures were not seen to be followed, then the public would feel that Fife Council planning service lacked credibility.