By Gordon Berry

ANOTHER CONTROVERSIAL housing application at Ceres is to be given a public airing this week.

The special departure hearing, coming hard on the heels of a packed meeting about another substantial site, concerns a proposal from G&G Contracts (Fife) Ltd for land at Doves Loan beside Anstruther Road.

The plans have attracted almost 50 objections, and at the meeting applicants and objectors will be able put forward their views before a decision is taken later this year.

The application is for outline consent only, and one of the principal objectors is the village’s community council which has already made clear its view that while growth in Ceres would be welcomed, it should be in smaller developments.

Other issues raised by objectors include primary school capacity, road safety, impact on the village character, prematurity, loss of agricultural land and harm to an area of great landscape value.

The applicants have submitted a statement claiming the proposal would rest comfortably with adjacent development, that its impact would be acceptable, and that the land should be regarded as suitable for residential development in view of a housing shortfall.

Although the application is outline only, a layout plan shows the possibility of around 18 homes, and 20% would have to be “affordable” houses for sale or rent.

In a report for the hearing, it is pointed out that the application seeks development on the edge of Ceres in a location identified as “countryside”, outside the village development boundary in the Adopted St Andrews Area Local Plan (1996). The report states that extensions to settlements need careful planning with the landscape setting of villages and with new building types and design being carefully considered to respect local architectural styles.

“Attention should be given not only to the view from within villages but to views from outside. Within small villages care should be taken to ensure the scale of development is appropriate,” said the report.

The report also says there are “known pressure issues” within the water network, and that “infrastructure costs associated with delivering an adequate public water supply, would have to be met by the developer”.

Education is again raised as Ceres Primary School is operating at 104% capacity, and the catchment area secondary, Bell Baxter in Cupar, is at 98% with pupils overflowing into poor quality huts.

“Education Service have reviewed this outline application and can confirm there is insufficient capacity within primary school provision as it currently stands to accommodate additional requirements resulting from this proposal,” says the report.

“If this development was built this year there would be no space at either of the above schools to accommodate children from the development, however if phased over three years and a contribution was provided to resolve the capacity issues, then support could be forthcoming.

“A developer contribution of £6000 per unit would be required,” says the report.

The meeting is being held in the village hall on Thursday at 7pm.