Kinross fury over decision in secret

May 22 2009 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

KINROSS Community Council are furious at the treatment meted out to them, and the Kinross community as a whole, by Perth and Kinross Council.

Exasperation boiled over this week when the community council discovered that the future of the old Kinross High School site was decided by councillors in private – with no consultation with the community, despite numerous requests from the community council and the four elected members for a proper planning brief.

Community council chairman Dave Cuthbert told the PA that he believes Perth and Kinross Council contravenes Scottish Government guidelines which say service users must be at the centre of local government planning.

Mr Cuthbert cited a catalogue of disquiet about the council’s actions – and lack of actions – which has left him and fellow community council members seething.

These include:

Failure by the council to respond properly to a letter from Kinross Community Council to the chief executive dated March 30.

News that Perth and Kinross Council will not be applying on behalf of Kinross for funding from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund, while it will be applying again for Perth city centre.

The absence of consultation with the community on the use of the High School site.

The refusal by the council’s head of planning Roland Bean to go to Kinross to discuss community concerns about the town.

The letter from Kinross Community Council to the council’s chief executive Bernadette Malone described Kinross as “approaching a crossroads in its development” and pointed out that “large parts of the town are under new development, changing use or under review by Perth and Kinross Council.”

The letter continued: “Local people have expressed concerns to the community council on the direction of its growth.

“Kinross Community Council is keen to start a dialogue on the overall direction of the town’s development and I am writing to you now to ask for your help in identifying a way to do this.”

The letter to Ms Malone was accompanied by a background report, compiled by Kinross Community Council, which illustrated 19 properties in the town – a mix of property owned by Perth and Kinross Council, Kinross Estate Company and others – which are or may be undergoing change.

Mr Cuthbert told the PA: “Since sending the original letter we have had the one holding letter and nothing else.

“Meanwhile we have learned that the future of the old High School site was discussed secretly at an SP&R sub-committee meeting this week under a private paper.

“There has been no consultation on the use of the High School site, despite all the requests from the community council and the four elected members for a proper planning brief.

“A questionnaire circulated by Kinross Community Council showed that the majority of residents (67 per cent) would like to see the primary school move into the old High School site.

“Regardless of any decision that might have been made about the site if good practice had been followed, the non-transparent, covert way in which things are being undertaken contravenes anything I have read about Scottish Governmental or Communities Scotland approaches to encourage people to feel like they are part of the planning activities in their communities.

“If communities have no part how can they own, belong or want to contribute?”

Perth and Kinross Council’s website has a page on consultation and community engagement which states: “The national standards for community engagement and our community engagement strategy is a framework used when engaging with communities or organisations.”

Urging communities to be involved, it says: “Community engagement is about changing service delivery and it is important that you participate and help shape the changes.”

Mr Cuthbert said: “We have not had a single thing of engagement. They are just not interested.”

A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson confirmed that the Kinross High School site was on the agenda of Wednesday’s property sub-committee meeting.

They said: “The report to the property sub-committee was taken in private as it included commercially sensitive information.

“We can confirm that the overall report regarding school disposals was approved as per its recommendations.

“At the request of the members of the sub-committee, a further report regarding site security options specific to the Kinross High School site will be submitted in due course.”

The council’s depute leader George Hayton said: “While recognising the large amount of public interest in the future of school sites which are due to be sold as our new schools open, it is not possible to consult with the public on details which would be commercially sensitive.

“It has always been the case that we must raise money on redundant sites to help offset the costs of the new schools.

“There is some way to go before this matter is settled. In moving to other uses these sites will certainly be the subject of further committee papers and planning applications.

“All except those required to be heard in private will be considered in open session.”