A LOCAL group dedicated to opposing large scale housing development in north east Fife is to expand its campaigning across the Kingdom.
Protect Rural East Fife (PREF), which comprises towns and villages across the area, only recently came together, but is now looking to increase its clout by including organisations from Kirkcaldy and west Fife.
PREF has already made considerable imp
act on councillors who will eventually decide the fate of the areas involved, including writing an informative letter to every member on the committee concerned.
Members of PREF objects to the St Andrews and East Fife Draft Local Plan, which sets out proposals for new housing developments in places like Cupar, Tayport, Wormit and Springfield, all of which would experience a dramatic rise in population if the plan goes ahead.
Although a final decision is some way off, PREF — which includes local action groups Tayport Local Plan Action Group (TLPAG) and Cupar Against Rural Development (CARD) — has acted early and is urging similar movements across the rest of Fife.
"We haven't as yet heard of any other action groups in places like Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline which is why we are now writing to community councils to try and generate interest," said Helen Lowe, PREF chair.
"Because we have had our draft local plans announced, we are quite well on with opposing these plans, and people in other areas of Fife which haven't had exact details announced yet could benefit by getting involved.
"One big group which would take in all of Fife, while still protecting our own local interests, would really add clout to the campaign."
A recent example of a campaign group stealing a march on the draft plan was TLPAG presenting a petition to the Scottish Executive late last year.
It received a positive response last week from Holyrood's Communities Committee, which agreed "planning related issues raised in the petition should be taken into account in its consideration of the Planning etc (Scotland) Bill and as part of any consultation of related planning guidance".
Chair of TLPAG, Fionn Stevenson, said: "It was always our intention to take this to a national level and we are delighted to know that our petition and the reasons we put forward will be considered as part of the Planning Bill."
