The north east Fife area committee meeting at Cupar agreed unanimously to support an application by the council's education service for a synthetic pitch measuring about 37 metres by 77 metres in the school grounds.

Two previous proposals for an all-weather pitch at Bell Baxter had failed, but councillors heard the current project would be used for school activities only, with the hours of operation between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

"No provision is made within the proposal for use by the community at large," said planner Robert Stirling in his report.

Concerns from nearby residents over the potential light and noise have long been a sticking point for the pitch scheme, and this latest version also attracted nine objections, including one from Cupar Community Council.

Cupar councillor Roger Guy sought assurances residents would not be inconvenienced, and the area committee subsequently amended a planning condition to avoid any doubt about the restrictions on usage.

Fellow Cupar councillor Bryan Poole noted all the activities would be supervised by teachers, but acknowledged local residents might lack confidence in the project after so many years.

He added: "Living adjacent to a school playing field, there has to be a degree, I think, of acceptance of school-related activity."

The third Cupar councillor, Margaret Kennedy, did not take part in the committee discussion as she had already made public her support for the pitch, speaking out earlier this year despite knowing this would bar her from the decision-making process.

The Multi Use Games Area (MUGA), to be located between the school buildings and housing fronting West Park Road, will be lit by six 10-metre columns designed to reduce glare and limit overspill.

A five-metre high metal mesh fence will enclose the pitch while a two-metre high acoustic screen fence and landscape planting is proposed between the MUGA boundaries and the nearest housing.

An acoustical consultants report submitted as part of the application showed the expected general noise generated by the pitch in use were unlikely to cause a disturbance and although the louder sounds might be audible, they would remain within recognised acceptable levels.