Fife councillors back plans to fence off part of Tayport Harbour

Tayport Harbour Trust had applied to put up fencing, gates and lighting at the water's edge, intending to use the area - which it owns - as a storage area for boats, with direct access to the slipway.

In the past, the area was used to store boats but more recently has been a public right of way when accessing the harbour and residences.

The Trust has proposed creating a formal footpath along the edge of the fenced-off area to continue offering access, as well as an access gate for Scottish Water to access local plant equipment.

Creating the fenced-off area, the Trust argued, would make it safer for boat owners to store vehicles there as they had previously been the target of thieves and vandals.

"Over the last year several boats have been broken into resulting in theft and vandalism," a supporting statement submitted by the Trust reads.

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"(Approval) will...vastly improve our ability to store boats securely enabling access to the water for the community."

Fife planning officers recommended the plans for conditional approval, with restrictions on the brightness of the proposed lighting.

Case officer Paul Ede said: "In summary, it is considered on balance that these proposals are acceptable because the path would be further delineated and reinforced, lighting would improve safety at night, and the site would remain suitably permeable to pedestrians."

However, seven Tayport locals objected to the plans, especially the 2.4m-high timber fencing proposed to protect watercraft and concerns over noise from masts and rigging left up at night.

Fife Council says it has been given assurances that boats will be stored with masts and rigging taken down to reduce rattling and other disturbances.

Some residents also shared concerns over whether the area could be used to store boats without a further change of use application - but this was dismissed by council officers, citing the area's use as boat storage in the 1970s and 1980s as precedent.

Cllr Donald Lothian, convener of the North East Planning Committee, moved approval with no objections.

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