Plans for a large housing development to the north of a Fife village should be thrown out due to flooding concerns, the area’s community council has insisted.
Campion Homes Limited, on behalf of Kingdom Housing Association, intends to create 45 new homes on land to the north of Kinglassie Road in Cardenden to help meet a growing housing need.
However, Cardenden Community Council has called on Fife Council to refuse the proposal, saying the site in the Auchterderran area is regularly prone to flooding with surface water from surrounding fields often accumulating in a low-lying area.
David Taylor, community council secretary, said developers had acquired additional land and intend to divert water into a large artificial pond then into an open ditch behind the existing Woodend houses, but this that had not alleviated the concerns.
“It is accepted more affordable housing is required, but an affordable housing development is already under way in the area, with another approved,” he said.
“Several sites are also available in the area, which should be developed before consideration is given to a totally unsuitable site outwith the settlement boundary.”
Mr Taylor also highlighted Fife Council’s responsibility for maintaining a ditch behind the houses at Woodend, and said the local authority has previously had to compensate homeowners for flood damage to their property.
The developers claim the project is required to help deliver a target of 570 affordable homes in the area as part of the Scottish Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) between now and 2023/24.
The plan says 553 affordable homes are expected to be delivered in the five-year period, but that assumption includes 155 on a site in Nairn Street in Kirkcaldy which was refused planning permission earlier this year, and 30 on the Dundonald Farm site in Cardenden which may not come forward for development.
Only five affordable homes have been provided on the Cardenden Road (North) site.
A spokesperson for Campion Homes said: “The delivery of 45 modern and high-quality affordable homes on the Woodend Road site within Auchterderran will make a significant contribution to meeting housing needs in general across central Fife but specifically a significant unmet affordable housing need that persists in the area.
“Development of the subject site will generate no adverse impacts on existing services and infrastructure and will not adversely affect the amenity of existing or future residents.”
