Rosyth waterfront redevelopment not favoured by Fife Council
A PROPOSED redevelopment of the Rosyth waterfront that would create 6,000 jobs and bring an estimated investment of £500m into one of Fife’s most deprived areas is in jeopardy because local politicians and planners have other development ideas.
Fife Council, Scottish Enterprise Fife and Forth Ports are understood to want the project stopped because they wish Rosyth to be developed as an international freight and passenger shipping hub.
However, internet banking entrepreneur Jim Spowart, who chairs a community group that endorses the development, is confident the project can coexist within this goal. He claims the project, planned for a 235-acre site between the Superfast ferry terminal and the new Forth crossing, has met with “nothing but hostility” from Fife Council, Scottish Enterprise Fife and Forth Ports.
The development, for a wharf-style collection of restaurants, hotels, offices, sports facilities, flats and houses on wasteland, is being led by Scarborough Muir, a joint venture between Yorkshire-based Scarborough Development Group and Inverkeithing-based builders Muir Group.
“We are at a loss to understand why the project is being met with such negative vibes,” said Spowart. “I know that as a country we can ill afford to let a £500m development slip through our hands, especially since, unlike Donald Trump’s proposed scheme at Menie, this is utilising land that is derelict wasteland.”
He added that Scarborough Muir has already spent £31m decontaminating the land, which was formerly owned by the Ministry of Defence.
Since August 2007, when he became chairman of the Rosyth Waterfront Liaison Group, Spowart has been seeking a meeting with Fife Council’s planning department in a bid to get the project kick-started. This would requires the redesignation of the site as “mixed use” in the Fife structure plan, as opposed to its current “port/industrial” designation.
Alex Rowley, Labour leader of Fife Council, said: “I certainly wouldn’t support that area being redesignated as mixed use. We certainly don’t want to see anything happening on the Rosyth waterfront that would threaten our strategic objective for Rosyth, which is for it to become an international hub for transport and shipping.”
This article was published in The Sunday Times on 23 December 2007
Rosyth Waterfront Liaison Group should be investigated as to their impartiality as it is understood it is being pressurised by the Labour party who received £1,300 from a company called Muir Homes and £2,500 from Scarborough Muir Group Ltd.
It is also understood that the group meet on Scarborough Muirs Premises, The Chairman was appointed by Scarborough Muir and their secretarial expenses are met by Scarbborough Muir Group.
Most Rosyth people I have spoken to want to see Rosyth Waterfront as a container port with passenger and freight shipping to Europe and Scandinavia.
I am a Rosyth resident and a member of Rosyth Waterfront Liason Group,I am not a labour supporter,no pressure has ever been brought to bear on the group either by the labour party, S M G or Muir Homes.
The local people I have spoken to want the waterfront cleaned up and access given to people of the town.
Port facilities are good but mixed use would be beneficial to The Garden City.