Current state of play

Hillpark House is still vacant, although we reported on an attempt to let it in July 2008, and in mid-August a small group of young people were in residence for a short period.

Given the state of the garden, the lack of any real security, and the possibility of illegal occupancy, all issues that were raised with Tuscan Developments in December 2007, we would prefer someone to make the house their temporary home or place of work.

Things may be changing. On 18 February 2009, a sign appeared indicating that the property is again being offered for letting, this time by Clear Lets, and the house has been visited by a professionally cleaning company. We hope that this will result in a good neighbour…


As is explained at this link, the developers appealed to the Scottish Government against the decision of the City of Dunfermline Area Committee to refuse their application, and the appeal was decided by an independent Inquiry Reporter on the basis of written submissions.

Malcolm Mahoney was appointed as the Inquiry Reporter, and his formal visit to the site took place on Thursday 16 October. On 30 December, letters were sent out stating that the appeal had been dismissed by the Reporter and that planning permission had been refused. The letter giving the grounds for the appeal being dismissed is available at this link.

The next stage of course will be for the developers to submit a fresh application for their “Plan B”, which will go through the same initial process of notification to neighbours and consideration of plans and objections by the City of Dunfermline Area Committee.


We noted earlier that the developers had been carrying out some of the wrong sort of gardening, having cut down some of the smaller trees on the site: see this link for comment.

 

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