Crail Airfield: developer’s anger as ‘golden opportunity’ is lost to transform airfield

West Lothian based Ground Developments slammed Fife Council after its plans to transform the land into a commercial and holiday hub were rejected earlier this week. The company said that “an historic opportunity has been lost amidst council failures and a local NIMBY campaign” and it has announced that a planning appeal is in the works.

Ground Developments wanted the green light for a complete regeneration and conversion of the long vacant World War II air base. If approved, the plans could have seen the site turn into a holiday hub, complete with a hotel, up to 91 holiday accommodation units, an open air museum, as well as retail and public event space.

However, North East Fife planning councillors refused the project on Wednesday when they voted eight to two in favour of refusal – siding with 136 letters of public objection. Councillors rejected the proposals based on concerns over road safety due to a lack of a viable second route to the site and the development’s potential impact on the road network within Crail.

“By virtue of location, form and scale, the development would impact on road safety by introducing a significant number of additional vehicle movement to the locality, which would be considered excessive in terms of existing road structure,” the rejection stated.

Developers have now slammed the decision and will be seeking an appeal from the Scottish Government.

“Ground Developments is disappointed by the recent decision to reject the planning permission in principle for the Crail Airfield development,” developers said in a press release. [It’s] a move that represents a significant failure to protect and rejuvenate one of Fife’s most historically important sites.”

Kevin Mackenzie, managing director for Ground Developments added: “Our plan, which was recommended for approval by the council’s own planning department and endorsed by Historic Environment Scotland, was designed to save Crail Airfield from further decay. It’s incredibly frustrating to see such a valuable opportunity lost due to the narrow views of a few who do not appreciate the broader benefits of this project.”

Ground Developments claim that the project was a “golden opportunity to breathe new life into a derelict landmark”.

“This chance has been squandered due to the shortsightedness of the elected councillors and the vocal opposition of a minority who failed to recognize the broader benefits of the proposal,” the developer’s statement said.

The company has plans to appeal the planning decision to Scottish Ministers.

“Ground Developments is determined to appeal this decision to Scottish Ministers, believing that they will understand the critical importance of preserving the site’s heritage while fostering economic development,” the statement continued.

In the meantime, it is planning to submit another planning application asking for permission to transform the airfield’s former gym and cinema buildings into a mixed-use café, market hall, and sports facility.

This will “provide immediate community benefits and contribute to the preservation of one of the site’s historic structures”.