Five new family homes and stables planned for outskirts of Kirkcaldy

A more detailed application is now expected to come forward later this year for land to the south of Riverside in the village of Thornton, where applicant Keith Preston currently lives.

According to the plans, two-storey detached housing plots and a stable to the west of the site, which would allow paddocks to be formed in due course, are envisaged.

The homes themselves will be either four or five-bedroom properties of between 70 to 80 square metres in floor area, complete with their own private amenity spaces and parking.

Fife Council has now awarded planning permission in principle under delegated powers, although local authority planners have stressed that the proposed houses will need to be of a similar design to others in the area.

In his report of how the application was handled, case officer Jamie Penman said the site is of a size capable of supporting a residential development and associated infrastructure without significantly impacting on the residential amenity of neighbouring properties.

“The limited information provided with a planning permission in principle application means that it is difficult to assess at this stage what impact a proposal may have on the residential amenity of adjacent properties,” he noted.

“However, taking into account the indicative plans provided and the distance and layout of neighbouring properties, it is considered that the proposed dwelling houses could be designed in such a way to ensure that there would be no significant or additional residential amenity issues raised with regard to loss of privacy, overlooking, and loss of daylight and sunlight.”

Fife Council’s own environmental health team were consulted on the application and expressed concern about potential odour issues arising from the existing neighbouring stable block.

However, they were assured the stable is for small-scale private use and was not considered a significant factor.

A Noise Impact Assessment (NIA) considering the potential impact of noise from the industrial estate and the Thornton Waste Transfer Station on the proposed development was also submitted, but concluded no additional mitigation measures would be needed.

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