Carnoustie at Christmastime presents an annual celebration that draws the community together, reaching a footfall of over 3,500 in 2024 alone. This vibrant event, managed by volunteers—relies on the former Kinloch Primary School grounds for equipment storage year-round. Despite limitations we've made use of this site as a basic community hub alongside Carnoustie Community Council, ensuring we are prepared for emergencies such as severe weather and power outages, while also hosting essential equipment for beach cleaning and providing a space for other community events such as farmer markets and fundraisers. It is also a safe meeting ground for various groups holding public events involving children, such as Remembrance Sunday. We have kept it clean, free from vandalism and maintained it; enabling it to naturally develop into a green space which now requires regular grass cutting. 

The decision by Angus Council on 16 September 2025 to develop 11 affordable homes on this land overlooks significant public objections. This site is the last remaining green space in our community near the high street. The lack of engagement with Carnoustie residents and failure to consider community asset transfer interests are glaring oversights. The first error of which was made back in the summer of 2021 when the Council made the decision to write off the land from ecomonic development and move into the housing departments portfolio, without any consultation efforts to explore community interest in keeping the land. Interest which was made known by both the Community Council and Community Development Trust.A complete disregard for the Community Empowerment Act 2015.

While we recognise the importance of affordable housing, this decision was made without exploring all possibilities or acknowledging our established connection to this site. Carnoustie has been actively using these grounds for the last five years, yet no meaningful dialogue took place with us before planning this development.

We call upon Angus Council to rescind their decision, consider our contribution and the site's potential as a community asset, and engage thoroughly with the residents and stakeholders who have historically invested their time and resources here. We will demonstrate this soon with our 13 tree lighting display on the site, all of which has had a full upgrade this year, which begun prior to any housing application being submitted. 5 of these trees will be removed if this goes ahead. Our now large scale event will not safely be able to be housed in the same way logistically anywhere else in Carnoustie if we want to retain low cost affordable entertainment for children, nor will we be able to take safe delivery of the equipment needed for the event.

We can, and will make the case for this site to be of more long term benefit to the whole community, if given the proper engagement, support and information to do so. 

Please sign this petition to urge the council to reconsider their course of action and ensure the future use of this land supports and enhances the Carnoustie community for years to come.