Housing firm appeals after 74 new homes plan thrown out

A housing developer who had its plan to build 74 new homes on land which had lain empty for more than a decade thrown out, has formally appealed to the Scottish Government over the decision.

By The Newsroom

Published 24th Aug 2018, 15:27 BST

Updated 24th Aug 2018, 15:34 BST

Fife Council planners rejected the application to develop land at the junction of Hendry Road and Hayfield Industrial Estate back in April this year, because the site was part of employment land set aside solely for commercial redevelopment by the Fife authority.

Members of the Central Area Planning Committee emphatically rejected the proposal to build 48 flats and 26 townhouses on the vacant site, with one councillor commenting at the time: “We are being asked to consider an application that doesn’t seem to have any redeeming features.”

It was also argued that the developer had failed to demonstrate that the brownfield site was unmarketable for employment purposes.

However, a Scottish Government reporter has now been appointed to determine the appeal after the applicant argued that its plans do meet guidelines set out within the local authority’s own FIFEplan.