Anger over the timing of departure hearings

The Courier, 17 June 1999

The row over Fife Council officials organising a crucial departure hearings meeting in St Andrews - at which three controversial golf-related planning applications will be discussed - for today rumbles on.

St Andrews Community Council recently sent a letter to the authority criticising the timing, notification and procedures of the meeting, saying it clashed with the annual parade and inspection of personnel at RAF Leuchars, which a number of community councillors and representatives of other local organisations had been invited to.

Community council chairman Dr Frank Riddell posed several questions to the local authority’s head of law and administration, Stuart Allen, over procedures for the meeting.

He also criticised the decision to hold the departure hearings during the day, when many people are at work, and sought clarification of the number of days’ notice of the discussions which must be given.

After a reply from the authority’s law and administration services yesterday Dr Riddell said, “I note the reply states ‘the date was chosen in consultation with the chairman to allow members of the strategic development committee to attend...’

“Mr Allan said it had been chosen to allow ‘most of the relevant parties . . .‘ to attend.

“These two statements are contradictory. I can only presume relevant parties must include statutory consultees. We are statutory consultees, at least in so far as the Feddinch application is concerned. We were not approached.”

Dr Riddell also said east area development members were not consulted, and were only informed of the date of today’s meeting in St Andrews Town Hall at the same time as letters were in the post to objectors.

“Are the members of the council east area committee not relevant parties since, as the officials state, they will be asked for their view on June 29?” he said.

Dr Riddell has now written to the authority’s law and administration services for information on which of the statutory consultees and which of the developers were consulted with regard to the timing of the hearings.

He has also asked what would happen today if the meeting becomes inquorate due to members’ early departure or non-attendance.

The community council said late notification of the meeting allowed its members only nine days to prepare three cases for the major planning applications.

Meanwhile, Dr Riddell yesterday responded to expressions of “surprise” by Fife Council head of planning David Rae over the community council move to have the three applications called in by the Scottish Secretary.

In Wednesday’s edition of The Courier, Mr Rae said it was “rather surprising” that the St Andrews body should first say the applications could only properly be decided locally by the east area development committee but now state they are of such national importance that the decision should be made by the Scottish Secretary.

Dr Riddell said, “The way these applications are being handled by Fife Council is causing the gravest disquiet with members of the public. Its decision-making process has been brought into disrepute.”