The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has withdrawn its objection to plans for 125 new homes at Hillside School in Aberdour.
Last month, the HSE advised Fife Council to refuse the plans because there was a small chance of a “major accident” involving the Shell UK pipelines running under the western edge of the site.
The pipelines carry highly explosive natural gas liquids from the petrochemical plant at Mossmorran to Braefoot Bay terminal just outside the village.
The HSE has now said it was given incorrect information by Fife Council and has retracted the advice.
A spokesperson for the HSE said: “HSE’s land use planning advice team have reviewed the advice produced by our land use planning advice web app and it appears the council may have incorrectly entered details for the planning application.
“We will contact the planning department at Fife council to ensure that the correct HSE advice is obtained for this planning application.”
Shell UK has been consulted on the controversial plans, which are the subject of 460 letters of objection.
Although the energy giant is not opposed to the development, it has asked for conditions ensuring that an exclusion zone around the pipelines is protected.
The HSE added: “HSE has a role in the planning system to provide advice to the local authority on the risks to new developments, such as housing, from major accident hazard pipelines.
“This is separate to the pipeline operators’ duty to ensure the pipeline is protected from new development.
“HSE is a statutory consultee and our advice is based on safety reasons.
Ultimately, however, the decision on the granting of planning permission rests with the planning authority.”
A spokesperson for Fife Council said: “We consulted the HSE using their automated web app based on the information submitted with the application.
“This resulted in an objection to the development from the HSE based on the land uses proposed. However, further clarification has been provided about where the land uses would be located on site and an officer from the HSE has now considered this and provided an updated response.”
