Major affordable housing development in Cupar approved by councillors

Councillors expressed concerns with the Kingdom Housing Association proposals about flooding, access, traffic, and active travel routes, but Fife’s dire need for affordable housing tipped the scales.

“I’m happy to support the application as it stands,” Councillor Donald Lothian (Lib-Dem for Howe of Fife and Tay Coast) said.

“I think it’s a very good application. A lot of issues have been raised, but [ultimately] I think it’s a very welcome application that ticks quite a few boxes despite reservations about one or two issues.”

He continued: “And of course we have the context of this council having recently declared a housing emergency. I think we should be looking for reasons to build houses, not to [refuse] to build them.”

Campion Homes and the Kingdom Housing Association asked for permission to build 49 affordable houses with open space and drainage infrastructure next door to the existing Tarvit Gardens development.

However, Councillor Margaret Kennedy (Lib-Dem for Cupar) questioned the flood management surveys and SEPA maps.

“I accept I’m not a professional but I have real anxiety about this application,” she said. “We already have, as we know from objections and from people living here, that there has been a significant change in the water table for existing residents.”

Playing into those concerns, councillors were shown drone footage of the site on Wednesday which showed the farm field site with some surface water and runoff ruts.

However, planning officer Jamie Penman argued that developers are intending to mitigate that surface water and runoff with a SUDS basin and drainage infrastructure.

“In the drone footage, the site looked particularly wet. I think the video was probably captured after some heavy rain and you could see some rutting as well where surface water had been running off the site at an unrestricted rate,” he said.

“I guess the ultimate aim of the proposed drainage scheme is to introduce positive drainage onto a site that doesn’t currently have any drainage.”

He explained that the water – which is currently running off the site at an unrestricted rate – will be captured by the new drainage system, directed and stored in the new SUDS basin, and then released to a water course at a restricted rate.

“Any issues there now should be fully mitigated by the drainage scheme,” Mr Penman added.

Additionally, the planning report stated that “Sepa flood maps don’t show any indication the site is prone to any type of flooding.”

Developers and planning officers also argued that the development is much needed to help address the council’s ongoing housing crisis.

In a planning statement, developers claimed that there are more than 2600 applications on the Fife Housing Register for Kingdom Housing stock in Cupar.

“The council’s affordable housing team have been consulted on this application and they’ve advised that there is a high need for more affordable housing in Cupar. And the site is identified in Fife’s strategic housing investment plan,” Mr Penman stated.

Despite the reservations of some councillors, the development was approved and will be allowed to go ahead.