By Gordon Berry

THE HIGHLY controversial unauthorised site for travelling families between the Five Roads roundabout and St Michaels was yesterday approved by councillors.

By the narrowest possible margin, members of Fife Council’s North East Fife Area Committee agreed to give planning consent for the site, which has already been developed and substantially completed.

The application was for establishment of six permanent gypsy traveller pitches, siting of chalets, construction of access and erection of outbuildings.

There has been intense local anger, disbelief and deep distrust over the development process and its handling by the council. The application had been continued from last month so that some further information could be obtained.

Yesterday the debate ended the way it had begun-with a confrontation between an incensed local resident and councillors. There was also criticism of “lethargy” from the national body SEPA, and of the fact that councillors took the decision without the benefit of any needs assessment for such sites.

The approval came with the casting vote of committee chairman Andrew Arbuckle after the committee split on an 8-8 vote.

There was also division among the three local Fife councillors for Tay Bridgehead area, with Lib Dem Maggie Taylor and Tory Ron Caird opposing the plans, and Lib Dem Tim Brett moving approval.

The whole discussion was peppered with references to the “reverse planning” process which saw the travellers families move on to the site and start work.

During separate legal proceedings two people were fined £2000 each for being in breach of an interim interdict raised by Fife Council at Cupar Sheriff Court over the unauthorised work.

Moving for refusal and immediate enforcement to remove the development, Councillor Taylor said that several council policies had been breached.

Councillor Brett, however, said that he was sorry to find himself disagreeing with his local colleagues, and found himself having to accept the approval recommendation. The way the application had been dealt with, he said, was “unhelpful and unacceptable” to himself and his constituents.

He added that it would be natural justice for everyone to be treated in the same way but in the case of travelling people there is a background of “positive discrimination” which has been translated into ministerial advice.

After the meeting Councillor Arbuckle said that “tactics” used by travelling people in moving onto a site over a weekend—often a holiday weekend—and establishing a permanent site, may be relatively new to Scotland but are well used south of the border.

“Currently, the ability of a local authority is limited in how it can react to such a pre-emptive move aimed at defeating the normal planning system.

“The message from this committee to Fife Council and hopefully to the Scottish government is to ensure that we are given robust legislation to deal with any future similar type of action.

“The new planning act is still being refined, and this provides an ideal opportunity to bring forward strong measures that can deal with any future moves of this kind.

“The suggestion coming from this committee is in no way attacking the rights of travelling people, but it is trying to support the integrity of the planning system”