SAC sacks council member over planning row, then asks him back

A CONTROVERSIAL planning decision on the Scottish Agricultural College's Ayr site has resulted in a well-known local farmer being sacked by the college - then promptly reinstated.

South Ayrshire Council approved the building of a new village on the SAC site despite almost unanimous opposition from the Ayrshire regional board of NFU Scotland.

And local farmer Willie Campbell, of Low Holehouse, Galston, led the opposition to the plan, having been selected as the NFUS spokesman against the proposal on the grounds that it would restrict agricultural progress in the future.

Also speaking at the meeting was the principal of the SAC, Professor Bill McKelvey, who questioned Campbell's position as an NFUS spokesman, as he is a member of the council of the SAC, which backed the planning application.

Following the meeting, where the local authority approved the application on a majority vote, McKelvey wrote to Campbell indicating that following the presentation "it is no longer appropriate for you to be a member of the SAC Council. I am therefore standing you down from its membership with immediate effect".

Campbell - who has been a member of the SAC council for four years and who has a wide experience of the farming industry - said he was totally taken aback by this letter as his presentation had been as a spokesman for the local NFUS branch. "Jimmy Ireland, the branch president, asked if I could do it and I agreed knowing there was unanimous objection in the farming community to the development," he said.

Yesterday, a spokesman for the SAC said they had withdrawn the "sacking" letter.

"We apologise for any misunderstanding that may have occurred. We had been led to believe that the statement made to the planning committee meeting by the local NFUS membership was to be made by someone else," he said.

"SAC now understands that Willie Campbell was mandated to represent the views of the Ayrshire branch of NFUS. In light of that we are pleased to withdraw our letter to Willie Campbell".

Speaking after receiving the news, Campbell said he would continue to work for SAC. "I spoke to Bill McKelvey this morning and invited him to come down to see the farm and I am pleased to say he is taking me up on the offer."