Plans for eight new luxury homes overlooking the Firth of Forth look set to be fiercely fought by locals.
The Seafield Consortium Limited has tabled a blueprint for land just yards from the shore below Long Craig Walk in Kirkcaldy, close to the existing and highly sought after Seafield estate.
The single-storey homes will have either four or five bedrooms and will offer extensive views of the estuary.
Developers say the project would bring waste ground into good use, suggesting the site is currently blighted by illegal dumping and other “unsocial” activities.
However, a group of locals have now vowed to oppose the planning application – citing the impact it may have on the environment and on an area which is well used by walkers with links to the popular coastal path.
Signs have been posted in the area asking people to make their views known to Fife Council before March 26 in a bid to have the application thrown out.
Kirkcaldy woman Alison Moffat is one of those who said she is “appalled” at the proposed development, and the fact there are no plans to replace the open space that will be lost.
She added: “There is a lot of diverse ecology along this area, not to mention a really popular walk for Fife residents.”
A statement from Davidson Baxter Partnership, architects acting on behalf of the developers, said the land should not have been left empty in the previous development.
“The full planning application offers the applicants an opportunity to complete the remaining section of the site at Seafield which in hindsight should have been incorporated within the overall development plan from the outset,” it said.
“Given the site is now run-down and unkept there is an opportunity to improve the area which has become an eyesore over the past few years.
“The setting of the existing houses will be vastly improved as a result of development, and our clients take the view the proposals will enhance the locality and the site.”
If more than five objections are lodged with Fife Council, councillors will be given the final say later this year.
On the concerns about a loss of open space and ecological impacts, the developers insist the ‘green network’ will be maintained along the coastal path.
“The site, whilst ‘private’ by its nature, can be accessed by the public to gain access to the green network via a defined route maintaining privacy for residents,” a spokesperson added.
“The site which forms part of the green network is linked to the extended network which extends from Tiel Bridge to Seafield Tower.
“It is intended that the ‘green network’ between these two landmarks will be retained and enhanced with the introduction of this development zone, retaining the valuable coastal path links and links into and from the local housing developments.”
The developers also employed consultants to undertake an ecology review and study of the site, which did not reveal any records of rare or notable species.