A PROPOSAL for a £35 million holiday park in Fife has provoked a strong reaction in the local community.
The park, on the site of the Eden Springs Fishery and Country Park, would include 75 lodges, alongside crazy golf and a play area.
Letham residents have expressed alarm at the proposal, and 71 objections have been lodged against the scheme, with one saying: “This is a natural beauty spot, not Benidorm.”
The community council in the nearby village of Monimail has lead a fight against the development.
The fishery on which the holiday site is planned was approved in 2022, after the Scottish Government overturned a Fife Council refusal.
The site was previously a nature reserve, created to compensate locals for environmental harm caused by the nearby Mountcastle gravel quarry.
David Hamilton, chair of the community council, told the Courier: "At the time [the proposal was lodged], the community suspected this was a trojan horse development.
“That appears to have been the case as less than 18 months later, plans have been lodged for 75 holiday lodges on the nature reserve.”
Another objection states: "The site was only recently reinstated as a nature reserve after quarry works.
"It beggars belief that just a few years later, that natural haven could be destroyed."
Others in the community have a different opinion, though – some 64 members of the community have expressed support for the plans.
One says: “The project will support up to 38 jobs, which will likely go to local people.”
And reads: “It will offer a vital boost in local tourism, which will help Fife in its recovery from the economic impact of the pandemic.”
The developer has said the project has been "carefully designed" to complement the fishery.
Director Chris Ritchie told the Courier: “As we move forward with our plans, we remain committed to ongoing collaboration with local community groups and engaged stakeholders."
Fife Council's north east planning committee will make a decision on the application on August 14.
