By Aileen Robertson

THE JOBS of 200 Fife electronics workers have been plunged into uncertainty after councillors threw out a planning application that would have seen them relocated to the former Lexmark building in Rosyth.

Cemtron, which operates from Dalgety Bay and Glenrothes, is now considering its options and could relocate out of Fife in order to expand.

The company had applied for permission to change the land use at its main site at Hillend Industrial Park to residential.

A housing developer had been lined up to purchase the land and the proceeds would have been used to fund the relocation.

It would have meant a further 125 jobs being created over the next four years, according to Cemtron, and would have breathed new life into the Lexmark site, which has lain empty since the inkjet cartridge manufacturer laid off 700 workers at the start of 2006.

However yesterday morning, councillors followed the advice of local authority planners and refused the application.

Development manager Jim Birrell said the council would soon be reviewing the local plan and there was a chance land use at the Cemtron site could be reconsid- ered.

However he said it was not appropriate to disregard planning policy ahead of the review.

A housing development would make it difficult for other firms at the industrial estate to run their businesses, said Mr Birrell, and he said the reasons given by the company for the change of use could not be used to determine a planning application.

“This is a significant departure from the development plan and would set a Fife-wide precedent,” he said.

“The success of the company is very important to the council and we will continue to work with the company to look at feasible and viable options to look after the success of the company.”

Councillor Bob Eadie moved to approve Cemtron’s application with conditions attached and he was backed by Councillor Pat Callaghan.

Mr Eadie said, “For me, people’s jobs and employment, although not strictly related to planning policy, is of overriding importance.”

The potential negative consequences of setting a precedent for other employment land in Fife to be sold for housing were outweighed by the economic benefits for the area, said Mr Eadie.

“We have got to look at the bigger picture, and in this case it’s the economic development of Rosyth and west Fife.”

Committee chairwoman Councillor Alice McGarry backed Councillor David Herbert’s motion to refuse.

She said changing the use of the site would be “premature” with changes to the local plan still pending.

Mr Herbert said the company’s proposal had been “tempting.”

But he said, “It would be sending out the wrong message if we agreed to this.”

A vote was cast and the planners’ re-commendation was carried by six votes to three.

Cemtron chief executive Paul Brown said, “The company is bitterly disappointed and we will obviously be looking at other options available to us to safeguard the business and the employees.

“At this stage there is a question mark over whether we can do that and remain in Fife. If we can we will.”