A massive housing development in Kirkcaldy has been given the seal of approval.
Around 1,200 houses and flats, a primary school and retail units will go up on 104 hectares of land on the south-west edge of the town.
A 20-year masterplan for the site at Inverteil and Tyrie farms, stretching from Kinghorn Road to Balwearie Golf Club, was approved by Fife Council’s central and west planning committee.
Commenting on the number of homes, Burntisland, Kinghorn and Western Kirkcaldy Labour councillor Gordon Langlands said: “This would be about the size of Kinghorn.”
Almost 10 years have passed since the planning application was first submitted by farm owners and house builder Cala, with a public consultation event held in 2009.
Updated reports on the potential environmental and transportation impact were submitted before yesterday’s hearing.
Concerns were voiced about the impact of the development on health services as councillors debated the planning application.
NHS Fife previously warned a number of GP practices in the Kirkcaldy area had full patient lists when it was consulted on wider development in Fife.
Kirkcaldy Central councillor Alistair Cameron, also Labour, asked how demand for services would be met.
Fife Council planner William Shand said an area of mixed use within the development could accommodate a health centre, but discussions would have to take place with NHS Fife.
Asked who would build it, he said: “It likely would be the NHS that would do that, going forward.”
Councillors heard it would be around three years before construction begins.
Unless pupil numbers at Kirkcaldy West Primary School have fallen by then children at the first of the new homes would be accommodated in a temporary “pop-up” school until a permanent 11-classroom school is built.
The development will also involve upgrading the local roads network, using the route of the Jawbanes road.
Only five letters of objection were submitted to the initial planning application and the updated reports in September. Kirkcaldy West Community Council voiced a series of concerns, including the impact on schools, health services and roads.
Planning permission in principle was given on condition of a legal agreement securing contribution of £140,000 for strategic transport interventions, £521,300 for the modular primary school, almost £11 million for the permanent new primary school and contributions for secondary education and public art.
