LESLEY Laird MP has warned of a “potential nightmare” if three rejected plans to build a total of 290 homes in Aberdour are given the green-light.

A proposal to build 125 houses at Hillside – knocked back by Fife Council in February – is back on the table.

And both Cala Homes and Campion Homes have submitted appeals to the Scottish Government, asking for ministers to overturn the west planning committee decisions in July to refuse their development plans.

Cala want to build 85 homes off Main Street, whilst Campion applied for permission for 80 properties on land beside Nether Bouprie Farm.

All three development proposals attracted thousands of objections from villagers and Ms Laird, MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, said: “This could turn into a potential nightmare for residents.

“Aberdour could theoretically end up with three plans being granted which would fundamentally change the whole character and dynamic of the village.”

The Hillside development was resurrected in May and accompanied by a statement from planning agents, Felsham Planning and Development Limited, stating the site boundary and housing numbers remained the same as its previous application, this time with a different layout.

A Screening Opinion application was recently lodged with Fife Council to determine whether an Environmental Impact Assessment is required to be submitted with the planning application.

Ms Laird commented: “Initially there were three proposals – Hillside, Cala and Campion – and only Hillside satisfied criteria set out in the local plan.

“Since then, of course, we’ve seen Cala and Campion continue to press ahead with their proposals, despite the fact that both developments don’t adhere to local plan guidelines.”

She concluded: “I would urge the reporter to not renege on an original plan which was democratically agreed.

“They can’t possibly grant permission to Cala and Campion, otherwise it makes a mockery of the Fife plan process and simply reinforces the reasons why people have no faith in the planning process.

“As I’ve said before, planning reform is urgently needed to give communities a right of appeal in controversial cases such as these.”

Ms Laird added that she feared Aberdour would be stuck in a perpetual ‘Groundhog Day’, with Aberdour Community Council chairperson Iain Fleming, telling the Press: “Obviously it is more of the same. It just seems incredibly wearing that a community like this is having to continuously put up with this.

“All we can do as a community council is make our representations to the reporter, as we have with the recent Campion appeal, and then buckle down and await the reporter’s considerations.”

The Cala development was recommended for approval by council planners, while officers said Campion’s plan should be refused. Councillors knocked back both applications.

Cala planning manager Steven Cooper recently told the Press that there was a “recognised critical shortage of homes across Fife” and added: “The people at the sharp end and who lose out most here are existing local people who want to remain in the village but cannot find a home – as well as those on the waiting lists, who are in desperate housing need.”

Agents for Campion had said their plans would make a “significant contribution to an ongoing unmet housing need”.