Ambitious plans for massive eco-leisure and wellness leisure park in Fife take step forward

The development, which would transform a former opencast site, has secured planning permission in principle from Fife Council.

The eco-wellness, leisure and employment led destination at the former St Ninians site near Kelty is the brainchild of National Pride, a Scottish-based Community Interest Company (CIC). It has bought almost 1000 acres of land at St Ninians and Loch Fitty, near Dunfermline.

The approval supports a mixed‑use land regeneration comprising eco‑wellness and leisure uses and facilities, including short term visitor accommodation, such as lodges, tourism and visitor uses, education and learning spaces, landscape restoration and supporting infrastructure, to be delivered in phases over a number of years.

Together, these uses will enhance the tourism industry in the area and will create new jobs, opportunity and long‑term economic and social benefits for the local communities, while restoring the environment and enhancing ecological value to the land, historically used largely for industrial purposes.

National Pride said the regeneration of St Ninians will deliver tangible benefit for local people and the wider Fife economy, with deliberate environmentally responsible and sustainable design. More than half the site is proposed for woodland, wetland and habitat enhancement increasing biodiversity, alongside landscape‑led development that enables employment, learning and wellness uses to function sustainably.

Planning permission in principle establishes the acceptability of development on the site. Detailed layouts, buildings and delivery phases will now be brought forward separately through future applications, environmental assessment and consultation as investment is secured and delivery progresses.

The project is expected to support employment not only across construction but also, landscape restoration, environmental management, tourism, hospitality, education and wellbeing uses.

Education and skills development are included in the long‑term ambition, with opportunities for environmental learning, rural skills and place‑based education developed in partnership with appropriate providers as the site evolves.

Irene Bisset, chair of National Pride, said: “This decision supports the careful regeneration of a former mining site that has stood unused for many years. The focus now is on delivering the creation of jobs, learning opportunities and long‑term sustainable uses while restoring ecological attributes and environmental value to a former industrial site.

This approval provides certainty on direction. Delivery will take place in phases over time as detailed designs, operators and investment are brought forward.”