It could be two years until the first homes on the massive new development at Halbeath are up for sale.
Fife Council’s west area planning committee gave planning permission in principle to Taylor Wimpey East Scotland’s plans to create 1,400 homes and a new primary school on the site which lies between Kingseat and Halbeath to the east of Dunfermline.
The developer has welcomed the decision, hailing it as a “significant milestone” in the development’s history.
Its land and planning director Pauline Mills said: “We are extremely pleased to have secured a resolution to grant planning permission in principle for our mixed-use development for the land to the north of Halbeath, which will consist of around 1,400 new homes with a community core, and forms part of the north Dunfermline strategic development area.
“This decision is culmination of almost 20 months’ work and represents a significant milestone in building this new community in west Fife.”
Ms Mills said the company, which builds more than 14,500 homes every year across the UK, will continue to work with Fife Council and the local community to make a detailed application for the first phase of new homes later this year.
“It is our intention that this will be at the western edge of the site at Whitefield Road and will consist of around 340 new homes, including 25% affordable properties.
“With many months of work ahead to secure the detailed planning and technical consents that are needed for a development of this scale, we anticipate that it will be around another two years before the first new homes will be released for sale at this development,” she added.
As the work progresses in phases, it will see realignment, changes and upgrading work on the local roads network.
Part of the proposed northern link road also goes through the site.
Network Rail has asked that phase two starts once a bridge is built over the railway.
The existing level crossing would be stopped up.
Taylor Wimpey said Fife Council has the responsibility to deliver the proposed road crossing over the railway at Halbeath as part of the wider northern link road proposal while Network Rail has the responsibility for any changes to the current local railway network infrastructure.
