A NEW campaign group has been formed in opposition to plans which could see up to 1200 new houses built in Cupar.
Following the lead of many other towns and villages in north east Fife, Cupar Against Rural Development (CARD) has launched an offensive against Fife Council's proposals for mass development.
CARD member, local solicitor Ceri Williams, said: "All co
nclusive research has shown that you cannot increase a town's population by more than five per cent without some areas turning into ghettos.
"These plans would see Cupar's population swelling by 40 per cent."
Under the St Andrews and East Fife Draft Local Plan, the two options facing Cupar are either up to 1200 new houses, as well as retail and employment units to the north of the town, with the sale of land for housing financing a by-pass, or a smaller expansion of 500 homes.
While the business community has given its backing to the larger development, Mr Williams said it would do nothing but isolate newcomers and turn Cupar into a commuter town.
He said: "The proposals are disgraceful. Our job as a group is to alert Cupar residents to the situation.
"They need to know and it's up to us to tell them because Fife Council has done the bare minimum when it comes to informing the public.
"The people who will live in these houses will work elsewhere and only sleep in Cupar — they will be unable to contribute to the community in any way.
"They will live near to this by-pass which will whisk them off each day away from the town."
The group, which has already attracted more than a dozen members, also intends to set up a website to show how Cupar would look should either of the options go through, and provide other information on the proposals.
It is also close to officially joining Protect Rural East Fife (PREF), a union of action groups from towns and villages across north east Fife who have come under one umbrella to add clout to the protest against the plan, which would see thousands of new houses being built in the area.
Maureen Campbell, a member of PREF who is also involved in the Tayport Local Plan Action Group (TLPAG), welcomed the addition of Cupar to the coalition.
She said: "Cupar will have big problems if the plans go through, so we'll be delighted to have them on board.
"We'll offer CARD help in starting up. We have learned from when we began, so we can assist them get off the ground."
The results of the consultation on the Cupar development plan are expected later this month.
