Gordon Banks reflects on the Millhouse Inquiry

20 February 2008

The Public Inquiry into the Enforcement Notice served upon the developer and residents at Mill House Park concluded today and local MP Gordon Banks reflected on the issues raised.

Mr Banks said – “The Inquiry, in my view, was very useful in order to expose some of the shortcomings and inconsistencies that have appeared throughout the evidence given by the Council.”

“There has been a deal of ambiguity over whether the units at Millhouse were indeed Caravans or dwelling houses. All parties eventually agreed that they were Caravans however that did not prevent the Council nor indeed Roseanna Cunningham from trying to apply irrelevant housing legislation in order to argue for a Council victory.”

“The Council’s proposed course of action has been for the residents to purchase another property as their place of permanent residence in order to keep their homes at Mill House. This is a ludicrous situation and something which none of the residents can afford to do.”

“The Council also argued that if the residents appeals were to be upheld then that would limit the amount of holiday accommodation in Crieff. However the Council’s Anne Condliffe then admitted that the use of the site would not change if residents only lived on site for part of the year. She also admitted that she could not quantify the impact on tourist accommodation and bizarrely confessed there was already an adequate supply of caravan type accommodation in the area and that there was no real demand for any more. The Council’s evidence at points has been confusing and certainly has had many contradictions.”

“I want to pay testament to the residents who gallantly sat through the three day trial and absorbed the information being presented, much of which was very detailed legal jargon. I also want to pay tribute to the resident’s solicitor Jacqueline Harris of McGrigors who put forward a very compelling legal case with also a healthy dose of the moral and social implications that a Council victory would bring.”

“The reporter has retired to consider the evidence and we are led to believe that this process will take at least a month but more likely longer. Unfortunately all we can do now is play a waiting game and hope that common sense prevails and the Mill House residents are allowed to retire peacefully in Crieff.