Developer plans 44 new affordable houses on grazing land in Fife town

Kingdom Housing Association will be hoping its vision for the site west of Leslie Cemetery will remain very much alive and well once council planners and locals have considered its blueprint, which could see 44 new homes created on grazing land just off Kinross Road.

Concerns have previously been raised locally about the impact the proposed estate could have on the area, notably on the village’s burial site which is thought to have just under 20 years of capacity left within it.

However, in its formal planning application to Fife Council, Kingdom Housing Association says affordable housing is needed in the area - with no other suitable sites available at this time.

Work on the mix of two, three and four-bed homes could be started on site by partner developer Campion Homes next year if consent is granted.

A spokesperson for KIngdom Housing Association said: “The delivery of 44 modern and high-quality affordable homes on the Kinross Road site within Leslie will make a significant contribution to meeting housing needs in general across Fife but specifically an unmet affordable housing need in the area.

“Development of the subject site will generate no adverse impacts on existing services and infrastructure and will not adversely affect the amenity of existing or future residents.

“Fife Council is therefore respectfully requested to grant planning permission for the proposed development.”

The proposals have come forward 31 years after outline planning permission for a similar development from Thomas Mitchell Homes on the site was refused, although Kingdom say circumstances have changed somewhat since then.

Long-term council plans suggest 390 affordable homes are needed within the area over the next five years to meet demand, and Kingdom say other identified sites - including the former Regal Cinema in the village and a site at Prinlaws Road - are not suitable.

Discussions with Fife Council’s bereavement services have also revealed that a Cemetery Strategy is being prepared which has identified a need for a new burial site to serve the Glenrothes area, so the proposed housing will not affect capacity issues at Leslie.

“Following liaison with Fife Council Bereavement Services, it is understood that the lairs present on the west boundary of the site are some of the oldest within the cemetery and there are unlikely to be any persons still alive Exclusive Right of Burial within these,” a spokesperson for Kingdom added.

“Nevertheless, Bereavement Services advise publicising the intent to develop to the west of the Cemetery through public notices.”

Leslie Golf Club has also expressed concerns about the impact of houses overlooking the course and the potential for increased informal access and misuse of the course, but Kingdom insist those reservations have been addressed by their plans.

“There may also be opportunities to work constructively with the golf club in future to help them achieve their aspirations and these will continue to be reviewed by the project team if planning permission is secured in due course,” the spokesperson concluded.

Thank you for reading this article on our free-to-read website. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Please consider purchasing a subscription to our print newspaper to help fund our trusted, fact-checked journalism.

https://www.localsubsplus.co.uk/nord/dm/FFP/V