Housing plans in Crook of Devon have been scuppered following the independent examination of the council’s local development plan (LDP).
The independent report was taken by four reporters appointed by Scottish ministers. This summer, they outlined modifications to the latest LDP in a 962-page report.
Independent councillor Michael Barnacle is furious their assessment supports zoning in Blairingone which now has no facilities but rules out building in Crook of Devon which boasts a school, inn, shops and garage.
He has slammed their assessment as “flawed” and “not completely factual.”
He added: “It says there’s strong local opposition.
“If that was the case, why did all four local members propose building there?”
Cllr Barnacle says he supports sustainable planning and is perplexed as to why they have sanctioned Blairingone being considered for development when there are “no services - not even a school thanks to the council.”
He says all four Kinross-shire councillors supported the original LDP it for Kinross-shire and he is dismayed that “unelected reporters can discount that.”
The Kinross-shire councillor said only MSPs could step in now but thinks they “showed no inclination to do that.”
He says a developer lined up to develop in Crook of Devon was seeking to make 50 per cent of the homes affordable which he says would be a change from the “houses being built for the Edinburgh market.”
Conservative Kinross-shire councillor Callum Purves said: “I think it is disappointing that an unelected reporter has ridden roughshod over the views of the democratically elected members in Kinross-shire and indeed, of the wider council, in relation to the housing density ranges.
“They were supposed to provide greater certainty for communities with an absolute maximum at the top of the range on the site and now we seem to be in a worse situation than before with the reporter’s ruling that the entire range should be treated as indicative.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Perth and Kinross local development plan examination report has been issued to the council to consider the recommendations contained in it and decide whether or not to accept these.”
The report’s findings will be considered at a full council meeting on September 25.
