TWO directors of the Dunblane Development Trust say the organisation has made mistakes over its relationship with the developers behind proposals for 550 homes at Kippendavie.

Trudy Whyle and Alan Booth have already resigned as directors from the Trust after learning that the consortium claimed to have the backing of the DDT.

And in a letter written to the Allanwater News, directors Gerard Hastings and Bill Stewart said that they were represented as "fervent supporters" of the proposals instead of the "critical partners" they needed to be.

 

They say they joined the DDT because they believe Dunblane has a need for affordable housing and they saw a chance to assist those in need of it.

They also claimed the trust was right to try and do things differently, saying: "We need to work with developers to maximise the benefits to the community and ensure that genuinely affordable houses are built.

“But working with developers is difficult. You do need a long spoon, and in our view we have made mistakes.

“In particular we feel that the SSCI document, which was not passed by the board, misrepresents the true position.

“It presents us as fervent supporters, not the critical partners we need to be, lap dogs rather than the all too necessary guard dogs.

“Quite frankly the developers were trying it on, and we feel that the board has to call them out.

“Nonetheless we are convinced we have to keep trying to follow the government lead and use the planning system to the community’s advantage.”

They added: “The only alternative is to hunker down in our privileged homes, pull up the drawbridge and renew our membership of the NIMBY party.”

Last month the Allanwater News revealed Kippendavie had purchased the land at the gap site on the High Street and given the DDT a two year option to build on it.

But chairman of the DDT Bryan Grieve has said that the DDT signed up with landowners Kippendavie to ensure the community excises the planning gain from future development.

He also says that the agreement ensures the community is kept informed and given the chance to comment on any development that may take place in the future.

This week the community council held a meeting in private to discuss its position with regard to the DDT.

And although the community council did not ask for a full public apology from the Trust last week, they have asked them to explain their actions.

Chair of the community council Terence O’Byrne, said: “We decided to write a letter to the board of the DDT in an attempt to clarify their position on the recent SSCI submission by the Kippendavie Group Trust, and its position with regard to ongoing openness and transparency.

“It is hoped that this will initiate a process whereby both organisations will be able to work in a cooperative and productive manner for the benefit of the whole of Dunblane.

“The community council has always been fully supportive of the Trust volunteers and will continue to be so, we look forward in particular to what will no doubt be another fabulous flower display this summer.”