Westfield site takes major step forward

A CGI visual showing what the fully built-out Westfield development in Fife will look like

The 1049-acre Westfield site near Kinglassie, has been earmarked for industrial, employment and energy related uses by owner Hargreaves Land, a subsidiary of Hargreaves Services PLC.

The Durham-headquartered firm, which has offices in Lanarkshire and Edinburgh, acquired the site in 2013, and has been developing a masterplan to bring about the restoration and redevelopment of the former surface mine, which ceased coal production in 1998.

Hargreaves Land has now announced the appointment of Ryden and JLL as marketing agents for the scheme, which it says is one of the largest industrial redevelopment opportunities in Scotland.

Phil Rayson, senior planning and development manager at Hargreaves Land, said: “We believe that with the proper investment, the site location, scale and unique features can be exploited to create a visionary and innovative regeneration and development project.

“We are delighted to have the support of Invest in Fife, JLL and Ryden, we have also engaged with the local community and key stakeholders to ensure our proposals take an integrated approach to regenerating this historically impacted site.

“We are committed to improving the biodiversity of the site, increasing public accessibility and incorporating a range of renewable energy systems, including energy recovery from residual waste.

“This energy can then support other development proposals and a range of new business opportunities.”

The brownfield site, which benefits from planning permission in principle for a site wide masterplan and offers a variety of development platforms ranging from two to over 25 acres, has two plots already under offer.

Detailed planning consent has been granted for a 22 mw energy from waste facility which, once completed, will provide occupiers with heat, power and steam.

Neil McAllister, partner at Ryden said: “Westfield is located in mid-Fife with easy access from the M90 and the A92, and given the scale of the site it has the potential to once again become a major business and employment hub for Scotland.

“It’s great to see this redundant site being brought back to life and we expect to see interest from a variety of users for the freehold and leasehold opportunities available.”