SCOTLAND'S housing minister has been asked to intervene after a Scottish Government reporter overturned a decision to refuse planning permission in Aberdour.

SNP councillors David Barratt and Alice McGarry have said the Scottish Government reporter's decision to allow more than 125 new homes to be built in the village sets a "dangerous precedent" after concerns about flooding from Fife Council and SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) were ignored.

Cowdenbeath MSP Annabelle Ewing also wrote to Kevin Stewart MSP, the minister for local government, housing and planning, in a similar vein before Christmas but is still waiting for a response.

The owners of Hillside School want to build new homes to provide funds to relocate their existing facility into a modern, purpose-built school.

The proposals, which attracted 352 objections, were turned down by Fife Council on the grounds that the developers had not provided enough information.

But a reporter informed parties of their notice of intention to grant planning permission in December after appeal.

Cllr Barratt and Cllr McGarry stated in the letter: "We are dumbfounded by the decision and by the manner in which this application has been handled.

"Not only does the decision ignore the objections of Fife Council’s flood team and SEPA due to concern for placing people at risk of flooding but it sets a dangerous precedent with the reporter going well beyond their normal remit.

"Fife Council refused the application due to a lack of information and despite repeated requests for the applicant to provide material sufficient to allow determination.

"In what appears to be a successful and deliberate attempt to subvert the local planning system, the applicant withheld this information until determination sat with the reporter.

"Rather than review the application presented to Fife Council, the reporter chose to accept a raft of new information previously withheld from Fife Council, thereby determining an application that Fife Council had not been afforded the opportunity to assess.

"Despite a presumption against new information being introduced at appeal, it appears the reporter has the discretion to be as accommodating to the developer as they wish.

"The precedent this sets is to allow developers to dispense with the local planning authority, undermining trust in the planning system as a whole."

The councillors who represent Aberdour also highlighted to the minister the significant flooding seen in the village August and explained that much of the proposed development sits on the floodplain.

"The developer proposes to raise land and alter the hydraulic dynamics of the site in order to get around this," the councillors wrote.

"Scottish planning policy is clear that development of the floodplain for residential developments such as this is not acceptable. The objection of both SEPA and the council’s flood team should emphasise this."

The reversal is the second such decision to be made by the Scottish Government reporter after plans by Cala Homes to build 85 properties to the south of Main Street were also approved on appeal.

Cllrs Barratt and McGarry stated that the reporter failed to take this into account and that when the two developments are considered, the size of the village is to increase by 30 per cent.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “An independent reporter has made a decision intimating that he is minded to grant permission for this proposal subject to appropriate legal agreements.

“The reporter fully considered all the evidence before him, including representations from the local community. As this case is still live it would not be appropriate to comment on the merits of the proposal at this stage.”