200-plus new homes approved in major development in Fife town

The seven hectare green space on the eastern edge of the town will become a 211-home estate with two new junctions along Kinglassie Road.

The development will feature a mix of two to four bedroom houses. It will also have 45 affordable units, which planning officers say far exceed the 10% requirement for the area.

Despite significant existing traffic problems and eleven community objections, the development by Ladybank based Quale Homes can now proceed under technical conditions.

Kinglassie Community Council opposed the development. Chairman Gordon Mitchell expressed concerns about primary school capacity, overstretched medical practices, and traffic management.

Kinglassie Road and B922 junction is already operating above capacity. However, planning officer Bryan Reid said developers cannot be expected to provide a solution to the existing problem.

“The onus isn’t on the developer to find a solution for this junction. It only have to mitigate its own problems, which it is doing,” Mr Reid said.

Developers will add a 20 metre turning lane on B922 for cars turning left on Kinglassie Road.

“Traffic modelling predicted that once the flare lane is installed, the junction would still be over capacity but the junction would probably be operating in accordance with what it does now,” Mr. Reid said.

Councillor Derek Noble, Scottish Labour for Glenrothes Central and Thornton, was not pleased with the solution.

“We’re going to put more traffic onto an already busy road creating more transport problems for that junction and all we’re suggesting to do is put a 20 metre section in which isn’t really going to alter the problem at all,” he said.

However, suggestions to force developers to create a signalled junction were shot down by Fife’s legal team.

“The junction is already beyond its lifeline of performance,” Mary McLean, Legal team manager for Planning, Property & Contracts said.

“Those problems exist now without this development. The [proposed left turn lane] makes sure that the development won’t contribute any further.”

The agriculture field was earmarked in the Fife Plan for residential development, and as such planning officers recommended approval.