A last gasp crowdfunding campaign has become the Scone community’s latest venture to oppose the building of hundreds of new homes.
Opponents need to raise £2,500 in a matter of days to employ an expert capable of wading through housebuilder A&J Stephen’s massive Scone North planning application.
At more than 1,300 pages, the document details a masterplan that would see more than 700 homes built, effectively doubling the size of the village.
Poring through it and creating a response that will stand up to scrutiny by planners and councillors has proved beyond dedicated members of the Scone Study Group set up to monitor the plan.
Now, with just two weeks to respond, they hope to employ a specialist consultant to examine the documents in full and prepare a report.
Neither the study group nor Scone Community Council has the resources needed to pay for such expert assistance and so they have launched a hugely time-sensitive GoFundMe campaign.
The funds are needed immediately as individual comments have to be lodged with Perth and Kinross Council by January 27.
A team of volunteers has spent the festive and New Year period ploughing through the application and they say they have “already found several points that are incorrect and misleading”.
They want the expert to look at the issues found and also take a detailed look at the potential environmental impact of the housing development and the issue of air quality.
A&J Stephen hopes to build more than 700 new homes around the north of Scone but the firm has seen its plans bedevilled by opposition.
Some believe the housing will be a boon to the village, supporting businesses and adding to its vibrancy.
Others have concerns about how community resources – such as schools and doctors’ surgeries – will cope and, in particular about the impact it will have upon traffic and air quality.
In December, protesters in anti-pollution masks gathered in Scone to highlight their concern that new housing may lead to pollution.
They did so after a bid to block building until the new Cross Tay Link Road is built, potentially taking vehicles out of Scone and Bridgend.
Those present called for a major traffic study to be carried out before the council contemplates allowing any new homes to be built.
For more information or to support the Scone Study Group’s campaign, visit www.gofundme.com/sconestudygroup.