Fairlie Community Council have called into question whether North Ayrshire Council has undervalued housing land they sold to a developer
David Telford of the community council has written to the head of the planning committee Tom Marshall in relation to why the recent RDK Construction application to build eight new detached bungalows at Southannan was not considered at full planning committee level, and was instead decided upon by council planners.
Mr Telford said: “We wish to formally record our concerns and objection to planning application being decided under ‘delegated powers’. 
“Given the controversy over the original sale of Southannan Estate, we consider that this planning application for a further eight houses within these woodlands should have been considered by the fully quorate NAC Planning Committee.
“This is particularly the case as the application is clearly in breach of the local development plan and hence out with the terms of NAC’s definition of what can be decided by the officers alone. 
“We also consider the recent consenting of this application shows contempt for the efforts of Fairlie Community Council to purchase this property as a community amenity; and a denial of the original critical condition of sale that no further housing was suitable to protect these beautiful, historic and important woodlands.
“The financial effect of this planning consent is that North Ayrshire Council has now sold a public asset to a developer for circa £1,000,000 less than its true market value: and this from a local authority that is closing down children’s playgrounds, public toilets and libraries because it maintains it has no money?
“Given all of the foregoing, we would respectfully request that these concerns are raised and noted (either as an agenda item or under AOB) at the next NAC Planning Committee Meeting and formally recorded in the minutes of the same.”
Cllr. Tom Marshall said: “Delegated powers is what they use for 80 per cent of planning applications which are non controversial. No member of the public raised any substantial objection and the local councillors likewise were quite happy that the officers deal with it. The question of the sale of Southannan has been dealt with in the past. It was probably sold undervalue, before my time.”
A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “The sale of Southannan Estate took place on the open market on an ‘offers invited’ basis and this process was completed in 2002. Sales carried out in this way determine the market value as they establish the maximum price bidders will pay.
“Due to the significant amount of time that has elapsed since the sale, there are no records of any valuation which would contradict the sale price as being a fair and reasonable reflection of the value of the property 15 years ago.
“A condition of sale was inserted into the contract relating to the maintenance of the scheduled monument and woodland within the site, and this condition is being upheld by the present owners. There was no condition of sale preventing the development of further housing. The recent application has been deemed to comply with the relevant provision of the Local Development Plan and conditional permission has therefore been granted.”
Mr Telford has also written to The Auditor General for Scotland.