A ROSYTH councillor has raised fears that the developers of the ‘Dockyard Digs 2’ scheme are breaching “several” planning conditions at their Castle Road site.

Councillor Douglas Chapman (right) claimed Capital & Provincial, the company behind the ‘Digs2Go’, already has people living on site although work is yet to be completed.

The controversial project, at the site of the former Forth Families Club, involves erecting 49 temporary accommodation ‘pods’ for workers on the aircraft carriers at Rosyth Dockyard and the new Queensferry Crossing.

The scheme split local opinion, and was twice rejected by councillors, but was approved in January after the Scottish Government Reporter upheld Capital & Provincial’s appeal.

However, this week Councillor Chapman said he had been contacted by residents, “who are very concerned after witnessing clear breaches of the planning conditions set down in the development’s planning permission”.

He told the Press, “We believe there are people on site living there. As far as we’re aware, one of the conditions was that the site had to be completed before people moved in.

“We also don’t know if the people are working on the bridge or the carriers – if that’s a condition then it does matter.” Capital & Provincial have since submitted another two applications for a further 28 pods but Councillor Chapman said Rosyth residents had not been consulted.

He claimed, “My reading is that they hope to put in a planning application to put in more pods in the area deemed to be for parking.

“If you just see pods being added until there’s a pod over every square foot of the land, that should be something that should be discussed with the community.

“It’s within their legal right to pursue another application to extend the pods but in terms of being good neighbours, that may be something they want to discuss with the local community first, given the initial discussions that went on.” But Capital & Provincial chief executive Mark Saunders said he had not received any complaints from residents.

He said, “As far as we’re aware we’re not creating any problems.

“Fife Council are aware we don’t have the car park completed yet but we have more than adequate alternatives across the road which they are happy for us to use.

“We have a huge demand for occupation – the work was unfortunately delayed through the planning process last year and we’re trying as hard as we can to get it completed.

“The vast majority of residents have been happy with what we’re doing and the amount of landscaping we’ve done.

“We’ve put new lighting in and got rid of the eyesore that was the Forth Club.

“It’s about time people accepted that we’re here to provide accommodation that’s desperately needed and let us get on with doing our business. If Councillor Chapman has a problem, he has my telephone number.” The Press contacted Fife Council for clarification on planning breaches at the site.

Mark Dall, planning enforcement officer, said, “We are currently in discussions with the developer in order to regulate the activity at the site.”