Developer in talks with council after school destroyed by fire

A developer planning to build on the site of the fire-ravaged Viewforth High School in Kirkcaldy is in talks with Fife Council over its future.

The historic building was destroyed in a major blaze at the weekend.

Edinburgh-based Whiteburn Projects said it remained committed to plans to build 96 new three and four-bedroom homes on the site.

A planning application submitted in January had been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, but it hopes it can go before councillors in September.

Fife Council currently is the current owner and insurer of the C-listed building which closed in 2016 after pupils moved to the new building at Windmill.

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The weekend fire was the second major blaze at the site, and the most destructive yet.

It destroyed almost all of the main building, and, at their height, flames and smoke, could be seen as far away as Granton in Edinburgh.

In 2017, the the historic merchants house known as Eastbank House - which formed part of Viewforth’s facilities - was badly damaged by fire.

It was an important part of Kirkcaldy’s history. The baronial home was built around 1870 by the Earl of Rosslyn, and then bought by Henry Hutchison around 1902 before becoming part of Viewforth in 1929.

There have been two other fires at the old school this year, prompting concerns from the community.

Eve McCurrich, managing director of Whiteburn said the company was concerned to learn of this latest fire and the major damage it caused.

She said: “We are consulting with Fife Council, which currently owns and insures the building, to determine the most viable future for the former school building after such extensive damage.

“While the planning application process for this development has been delayed due to COVID-19, we remain committed to the redevelopment of the overall site.

“Following our ongoing discussion with the planning department at Fife Council, we hope that our application can be reviewed at Planning Committee at the end of September, in order to determine the principle of redevelopment, such that local residents can see a positive outcome across the former school site.”

The company, based at Holyrood in the capital, is a well-established urban mixed-use developer, specialising in the regeneration of historic and post-industrial sites and buildings for residential and commercial use.

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