FIFE MSP Alex Rowley has called for a review of the decision that thwarted the £500 million plans for Rosyth Waterfront.

The ambitious proposals, which promised thousands of jobs as well as a dynamic quayside of shops, supermarket, hotel, cafés, bars, offices, a leisure centre and new homes, was dealt a near fatal blow when FIFEplan said the site should be for employment land only.

It's Fife Council's local development plan that says what can be built and where, and it went to the Scottish Government for final approval.

In a letter to Kevin Stewart MSP, the minister for local government and housing, Mr Rowley says key representations made on behalf of the local community, the site owners and the council were ignored.

"As a result of the Scottish Government Reporter's decision, the waterfront site will be allowed to lie dormant for more years whilst nothing happens and opportunities for major investment, development and jobs are missed," he said.

"It is a decision based on assumptions and assertions with little, if any, evidence and, as a result, denying the potential for major investment.

"The evidence from other areas is that mixed development of port areas can bring investment in housing, in tourism attractions and venues including restaurants, entertainment and leisure and that, in turn, supports and attracts business and industry to locate there as well.

"We need in Fife this kind of vision for this site and we are being denied the opportunity by the decision of the Scottish Government Reporter."

Last month, the firm behind the plans, the Scarbrough Muir Group, accused the council of ignoring representations made by the local community, local councillors and landowners.

The statement added: "Scarborough Muir refuse to let the waterfront vision fail and will take all steps necessary to overcome the perverse logic of Fife Council’s planning department and their disregard of community desires and the efforts of local companies.

"The lack of support for Rosyth Waterfront is at odds with the rest of Scotland where councils like Dundee are working hard to replace the old industries and support new investment on brownfield sites."

Dunfermline and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman last week said the sites were of huge economic and social potential for Rosyth and the whole of the bridgehead area.

"We have waited a very long time for Fife Council to promote the site to attract inward investment and create jobs in Rosyth and I welcome any steps in highlighting this site, which has a lot to offer to a wider, international market," he said.

"The new Queensferry Crossing alone opens up a whole range of new opportunities and we’ll have that open to traffic in a matter of months."

Mr Chapman has met with Keith Brown, the cabinet secretary for economy, jobs and fair work, and added: "He is keen to open dialogue with me, the developers, Fife Council and the community to see where we can bring people together to agree a more positive way forward.

"What we have ended up with is next to nothing and now we need to move on, think of our way forward thoroughly and start delivering a plan of real value to create sustainable jobs and economic prospects for future generations.”

Deputy council leader Lesley Laird said the council had supported the plans and welcomed further consultation.

"I have worked with officers to get them back round the table. We don't own the land. There are three different business owners and if we want something to happen, we need all three owners to be at the table," she said. "When building relationships, you have to build trust and some confidence and we have attempted to do that since 2013."

She added she was pleased that Mr Brown had added his support and said she would be writing to him to meet him.

Rosyth councillor Mike Shirkie said Fife Council had failed to listen to the "overwhelming majority" of people in the community and he would be seeking cross-party support for the plans.

"This is a no-brainer as far as I am concerned with a £500 million project creating thousands of new jobs and giving our people access to the waterfront for the first time in 100 years," he said.

"We simply cannot afford to wait another five years for the next edition of the local plan.

"Liverpool, Belfast, Leith and now Dundee to name a few are examples of vibrant waterfront developments. Why should Rosyth be the odd one out?"