Plans for controversial Kinross-shire Travellers’ site in limbo

From the Courier

An application that would add lawful permission to the ongoing creation of a controversial new Travellers’ site at Crook Moss in Kinross-shire remains lost in planning limbo.

Those behind the scheme are now in breach of the timescale allowed by Perth and Kinross Council for the submission of revised plans, having had their bid halted at a meeting in July last year.

Told by elected members that a wealth of further information was required before they were willing to green-light the development, little of the clarification requested has been forthcoming from the applicants.

The issue has, meanwhile, turned into something of a debacle, however, as the owners of the site near Kinross have pressed ahead with their plans for the location, regardless.

The Crook of Devon site – part of it a former village tip – had lain unused for some time before its purchase by a member of the Travelling community, who asserted that there was a need for additional permanent pitches in the Kinross-shire area and said the Travellers were keen to build relationships with the surrounding community.

An application for the formation of five permanent Gypsy/Traveller pitches soon followed and the plan was pitched to councillors by the applicant’s agent, who has since died.

Though the plans went before elected members with a recommendation from planning officers that they be approved, members of the local authority’s development management committee deferred consideration after asking for more information about drainage and ground contamination.

The latest meeting of Fossoway and District Community Council heard that some progress has since been made, with studies into contamination on the site having been carried out – in part.

A report has revealed that the contamination of the ground is not sufficient to prevent the application going forward. Experts believe that any risk to health can be eliminated with the introduction of Radon barriers beneath each caravan pitch.

Traces of lead and nickel were found in the groundwater, while grey asbestos was found in one borehole, though the amounts are not believed to be significant.

No investigations have as yet been carried out on the part of the site that previously served as a waste dump, though a successful planning application might result in expansion into that area in the future.

A spokesman for Perth and Kinross Council confirmed that the applicants were now in breach of the timescale for submitting new plans, but could not comment on whether any enforcement action would be taken.

It is understood that there has been no such action to date, despite the work undertaken on the site without planning permission.

The spokesman said: “The applicant was asked to provide a report on contaminated land, which we’ve now received. They were also asked to provide a report on drainage to satisfy concerns raised by Sepa, but this has not been forthcoming.”