Ambitious plans to transform a former Fife maternity hospital into housing have been recommended for approval by council officials.
Generations of families will be familiar with Kirkcaldy’s Forth Park Hospital, which stopped admitting expectant mothers in January 2012 after decades of bringing new children into the world.
Maternity services were switched to the town’s Victoria Hospital following Forth Park’s closure and the old buildings have lain vacant ever since, prompting concerns about what might become of the landmark.
AEL Developments Limited and NHS Fife’s blueprint for 41 new build homes and the conversion of existing buildings into 14 new flats are set to be given the go ahead at a council meeting next week.
The 41 new-build houses proposed will range from one to two-and-a-half storeys and will have two to five bedrooms, while the category B-listed Mansion House on the site will be converted into nine flats with one, two and three bedrooms.
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The former Coach House, Stables and Cottage Block will also be turned into five two bedroom flats if planning permission is granted.
Case officer Katherine Pollock has written a report to Fife’s central area planning committee on Tuesday recommending approval of the plans.
“The proposal involves redevelopment of brownfield land and conversion of Category B listed buildings to create a residential development which will protect the existing built heritage assets with no significant adverse impacts on their setting and the character of the listed buildings and any features of special architectural or historic interest,” she noted.
“The proposed design is complementary and sympathetic to the surrounding historic buildings and will improve the overall quality of the surrounding area.”
The former Mansion House and Stables Block – dating back to around 1860 – are considered to be the most important buildings within the application site in terms of historical and architectural significance.
Condition surveys suggest the Mansion House in particular is not wind and watertight, which is adversely impacting internal ceilings, floors and joists.
However, other than the category B-listed buildings to be retained, all of the other remaining buildings and structures associated with the former hospital use are to be demolished and removed from the site.
