39 new homes approved in two developments in Fife village

In total, the village will see 39 new homes built across two development sites. Half will be affordable housing, the other half will be sold on the open market. It’s a joint project between Campion Homes Ltd, Kingdom Housing Association Ltd and Peacehill Farming Ltd to provide much needed affordable housing and bring a derelict brownfield site back into use.

The 20 open market properties will be built within the brownfield Balmullo Steading site. The 19 affordable houses will be built on farmland to the west of Balmullo Farmhouse.

“The affordable housing team has confirmed that there is an established high need for more affordable housing within the settlement of Balmullo,” a North East Fife planning report said. “This is demonstrated through the 80 applicants who are on the Fife Housing Register who have specified Balmullo as an area of choice.”

According to developers, that’s why they’ve put forward these plans for 39 new homes.

“The proposed development is being promoted in recognition of the unmet open market and affordable housing needs and demands in the St Andrews LHS area,” a planning statement explained.

They say the open market element will also allow them to redevelop a “long term vacant and derelict site and provide open market housing for the local area.”

North East Fife councillors scrutinised the planning application before approving the plans on Wednesday afternoon. Concerns were raised by councillors and community members alike about the diverted agricultural track - which would force heavy farm equipment like tractors to use Pitcairn Drive. Developers have agreed to construct a new, more direct access and private track from the A914 to Cuplahills Farm.

“This is proposed approximately 400m south of the existing access point. This access would ensure large agricultural vehicles (and others) have an alternative access to Cuplahills Farm meaning that they would not have to use Pitcairn Drive,” a committee report stated.

Although this additional farm track is being processed as part of a separate planning application, North East Councillors decided to implement a “suspensive planning condition” to make sure that agricultural vehicles are kept off the main road.

In total, there were 26 public objections. They ranged from road access concerns to concerns about construction impacts. However, the planning authority - along with councillors - agreed that the benefit of the development outweighed the concerns and unanimously approved the plans.