Dunfermline locals have had their say on what they would like to see replace the city’s Fife College campus.
It comes after The Courier revealed that “several housebuilders” had expressed an interest in buying the 25.5-acre Halbeath site.
The campus has been put on the market and students will move to the new Dunfermline Learning Campus later this year.
A price is yet to be advertised for the site, which is being marketed by Montagu Evans.
However, there has been plenty of interest from potential developers.
Keith Hutchison, partner of Montagu Evans, said: “The most likely future use is housing, and the early stages of the marking campaign support this with interest registered from several housebuilders.
“Significant retail or leisure development at the site is unlikely to be supported by planning policy and the location is not considered to be suitable for industrial use.
“There is no demand for office development in this location, and it is not financially viable in any event.”
What do locals think about houses at Dunfermline campus?
Following The Courier’s story, locals have had their say on the Dunfermline Billboard Facebook group.
Paul Sheerin said: “If (Fife) council would actually fill up the empty properties then there wouldn’t be a crisis.”
Stuart Murray wrote: “The council should build council houses to help people who can’t afford to buy or can’t get a mortgage.”
However, some are opposed to more homes being built.
Dave Llewellyn said: “No doubt the housebuilders will gentrify the site.
Any affordable homes built will be put aside for student accommodation, putting them out of the price range of the people who actually need social housing.
“Dunfermline’s infrastructure is already creaking at the edges.
“More two-car homes are just going to make it worse.”
Georgy Johnson said: “No point in more houses when there’s not enough (doctors) or dentists to facilitate the people in the houses we already have.”
Lynne Fraser posted: “They shouldn’t get permission if schools, doctors, dentist are bursting at the seams.”
Others added schools and concerns over road capacity to that list.
And some suggested the campus should be transformed into a new high school.
Daryl Lightfoot said: “They should just turn it into another high school, with all the houses getting built Dunfermline needs another one.”
Readers suggest other uses for Fife College site
There were also several suggestions for alternative uses of land at the Fife College campus.
Suggestions included an “entertainment complex”, ice rink, trampoline park, indoor skate park, concert venue, BMX track, swimming pool or a climbing wall.
Lisa McInally said: “New leisure centre or more shops like The Range, TK Maxx or HomeSense.
“Would save having to go to Livingston for all these shops as Dunfermline ones have such rubbish stock.”
Another reader argued the site could facilitate a new centre for supporting mental health.
Kenny Mitchell suggested the site could become “a community centre for autistic and handicapped children and adults”.
A place for elderly people and woman to meet, a youth club venue, and a mental health centre were also suggested.
Others felt the Carnegie Conference Centre on the existing campus should be kept open.
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