THE FEUD over a decision to build a six-flatted development between two of the town's busiest golf clubs continued this week after one of the town's senior golfers accused Councillor Mark Salmond of being "inaccurate and patronising."
Captain of the Caledonia Golf Club, Tom Cole, said he was "astounded" by the independent councillor's response to a letter submitted to the Review by vice-captain Jason Stone in protest at the decision, which will see a six-flatted development buil
t between the Royal Montrose and Caledonia Golf Clubs.
The approval of the application will mean that access to the Caledonia's car park at the rear of the development site will only be accessible by a two-to-three metre wide lane, between the wall of the golf club and the wall of the flats. The club say that will endanger the safety of its members.
The Mercantile, Royal Montrose and Caledonia clubs, also argue that it is inappropriate to build a residential development between the clubs, which often host social functions as well as generally being busy from the early hours of the morning to well into the evening.
Mr Cole said he felt Mr Salmond had shown "contempt" for the people of Montrose by not defending the golf clubs' position during the planning meeting and said the councillor had decided to either "misrepresent the content of the discussions at the meeting" or was "unable or unwilling to comprehend what was said."
In a letter addressed to Mr Salmond and sent to the Review, Mr Cole said: "Your status as an 'independent' councillor appears to refer to the fact that you feel utterly independent of the need to act in the best interests of the town that you were elected to serve.
"It seems to me that it should be unthinkable for a councillor to promote the profitability of a Brechin businessman by supporting the construction of luxury flats that are not wanted and not needed at this time, while at the same time overlooking the loss of amenity, the inconvenience and the health and safety risks that will be suffered by that councillor's constituents.
"If you think that a three metre wide lane between the wall of the Caledonia Golf Club and the wall of the development will provide safe access for vehicles to our car park on our land to rear of the building, then you are either misguided or foolish."
Mr Salmond's letter last week also provoked an angry response from Mr Stone, who reiterated his point that safety was his major concern, not where he could park his car.
He said: "The 'main' issue I was making in my letter was indeed the safety of the children, and not whether I am able to park my car and I resent Mr Salmond's implication that I had ulterior motives!
"So I am still waiting on a response to the question I asked in my previous letter. If the safety of children and adults (in this instance) is not a planning issue, then whose is it? Clearly no-one wants to claim responsibility.
"The land at the rear of our golf club belongs to us, which we access via the land that Mr Ingram has recently purchased. Our members have been using this right of way since 1975, we do not park illegally. I am aware that this is not a planning issue and think I clarified that myself in my previous letter."
The Review was unable to contact Mr Salmond for comment at the time of going to press.
