Councillors have approved plans for a major housing development on the outskirts of Thornton.
Three hundred homes will be built on farmland just off Strathore Road, on the western edge of the village. Land will also be set aside for a new primary school.
The application by Livingston-based Gladman Developments Ltd, was given the go-ahead by members of the central and west planning committee, who heard the site was already zoned for housing in the approved Fife Plan.
Eventually there could be 900 houses on the site.
New school
Planning officer William Shand said the developer is required to safeguard an area of the site for the new school.
“The preferred option would be to extend the existing primary school in Thornton and that is being investigated so see if it could be done,” he said.
“The problem is it is constrained in terms of land availability.
“The council is looking to see if they could purchase land to allow an extension of the primary school.
“A legal agreement would ensure land is available for a new school should an extension not be possible.”
The developers will pay a share of the cost of any extension, which would include two new classrooms and a larger playground.
They will also contribute towards the cost of a new link road and traffic signals at the Strathore Road junction.
The approved Fife Plan has earmarked a number of areas for housing across the region.
However, Mr Shand said it had proved difficult to get some of the larger ones off the ground.
“We hope that by allowing a small section of this site to come forward first, it could stimulate growth and encourage other developers to come forward,” he said.
The public was twice consulted on the plans before the application was submitted for approval.
A public meeting was held at Thornton in March, although the second phase was held online due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Mr Shand added: “The development is in accordance with the development plan in all regards, and there are no material considerations which would outweigh
the development plan in this instance.
“The proposal is therefore considered acceptable.”
