'˜Four month Fife road closure will be hell for everyone...'

The B923 Loch Road linking Kinghorn with Burntisland and Kirkcaldy is to be completely cut off from January 2018 for up to four months to allow contractors to start construction of 133 new homes on two sites either side of the busy link road.

Gordon Langlands , councillor for Burntisland, Kinghorn and West Kirkcaldy told the Press there was grave concern from all councillors over the impact the closure will have on business, health and traffic congestion as motorists are diverted to Kinghorn High Street and Cromwell Road in Burntisland.

A petition set up by local resident Scott Brownie, calling for Lovells, the developer responsible for the site, to find a traffic management system to keep the road open, has already attracted nearly 700 signatures, just four days after it started.

“When planning was granted planning did not take cognisance of the likelihood of road closures during development of these two sites and did not anticipate a possible full road closure,” said Cllr Langlands.

“It has fallen to Fife Council’s transportation department to try and negotiate a compromise and although they have managed to get the proposed closure down from six months to three to four months and delay any closure till after new year, there will be ensuing disruption to traffic between Kinghorn and Burntisland from January.

“Transportation is still in negotiation with Lovells but a decision is imminent.”

With cross party support among fellow ward councillors Lesley Backhouse and Kathleen Leslie for the call for the road to remain open, Cllr Langlands is pressing for a concerted effort from the developer and the council’s transportation officers to find an alternative solution to that of a lengthy road closure.

Councillors now plan to liaise with community councils, retailers and other organisations to gauge the reaction of the public and to make residents aware of the possible disruption that is expected.

Construction on the former tannery site is expected to start in January.