Tesco’s appeal costs us £16.000
Milngavie MSP Des McNulty has forced SNP Planning Minister Keith Brown to admit that Tesco’s appeal against the decision to refuse the planning application for a monster store in Milngavie has cost £16,000 – and Tesco’s will not have to pay a penny.
Des said: ‘It is outrageous that the costs of this appeal are being met entirely from the public purse. Tesco’s were refused permission by East Dunbartonshire Council because of the strength of public feeling against the size of the proposed store. Had Tesco’s been prepared to scale back their plans so that the store was appropriate for the needs of the local area they might have been granted permission for a new store, although local people wanted changes in the design and positioning to be considered too. But Tesco’s were encouraged to press ahead with their plans when, instead of rejecting the appeal, Scottish Ministers sent it to the reporters inquiry unit.’
‘The appeal was addressed to Scottish Government Ministers and whatever decision is now taken will be on behalf of Ministers. It is Ministers who have authorised the sum of £16,000 being spent on the appeal. If the resident people living in a community feel strongly that a planning application is completely unacceptable and their elected representatives have taken note of their views in making a decision on the application, on what basis do ministers and reporters have the right to overturn a decision reflecting the strongly expressed views of local people. Where’s the democracy in that?’ ‘Any decision now reached is on the authority of the Planning Minister, someone who knows nothing about this area, its needs or the feelings of local people. It is disgraceful that the SNP are trying to pose locally as opponents of the Tesco proposals when their Minister is spending public money unnecessarily on Tesco’s appeal.’
