Appeal for 80 homes in Aberdour knocked back

That’s according to Lesley Laird MP, who welcomed the Scottish reporter’s decision on Monday to dismiss Campion Homes’ appeal.

He ruled that the proposals would be a “prominent and unwelcome intrusion in the landscape setting of Aberdour”.

It means Campion’s hopes of building 80 new homes on land at Nether Bouprie Farm have been dashed and planning permission refused – with a decision on Cala Homes’ appeal still to come.

Ms Laird, the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP, said: “I’m delighted by the Scottish reporter’s decision to refuse this application.

“They’ve listened to the voice of the community and taken on board the valid reasons why a development like this is inappropriate for Aberdour.

“I hope that Campion Homes will now accept this democratic decision and focus on developing their other sites in Fife.”

Villagers are now awaiting the outcome of another appeal, with Cala Homes asking the Scottish reporter, part of the government’s planning and environmental appeals division, to overturn Fife Council’s decision.

At the same meeting in July where Campion’s plans were rejected, councillors also knocked back Cala’s proposals to build 85 houses off Main Street.

Both proposals attracted more than 1,500 objections and neither site is in FIFEplan, which maps out what can be built and where.

Ms Laird said: “Of course, we now await the reporter’s decision on Cala’s proposal for Main Street in Aberdour. It would be a great Christmas present for weary residents in the village if the reporter rejects this hostile application too.”

Campion’s proposals were recommended for refusal by planning officers – Cala’s were recommended for approval – and councillors on the west planning committee agreed.

An appeal was lodged in August with agents for the company arguing that the development to the west of Aberdour “represents a sustainable and appropriate extension to the village” and “makes a significant contribution to an ongoing unmet housing need”. This was dismissed on Monday.

The Scottish reporter, Richard Hickman, said the site “would be a sustainable location for new housing from an access point of view” and that there “appears to be a continuing shortfall in the five-year supply of effective housing land in this area”.

However, he said development would “change the view from the Inverkeithing Road towards very attractive elements of the pronounced volcanic hills and Craigs landscape area” and adversely affect other views.

This would be “a permanent change and loss to current and future residents of Aberdour”.

He said: “I consider this adverse landscape impact to be sufficiently serious as to significantly and demonstrably outweigh the housing supply and other benefits of the proposal, in the context of the wider policies of Scottish planning policy.”

Mr Hickman concluded: “The reasons for refusal are that the site is situated outside the settlement boundary of Aberdour, in an area not zoned for housing development, and within a section of countryside designated as a Local Landscape Area.”