A former Fife maternity hospital is to be given a new lease of life.
Councillors on the central area planning committee have approved plans for a large housing development on the site of Forth Park Hospital in Kirkcaldy, which closed in January 2012.
The prospect of housing at the land on Bennochy Road was first raised seven years ago.
The scheme, from AEL Developments Limited and NHS Fife, will feature 41 new-build homes and the conversion of existing buildings into 14 flats.
Listed building consent has also been given for alterations to a number of category B-listed buildings on the site, including the old Mansion House which dates back to the 1860s, a former coach house, stables and cottage block.
A number of other buildings will be demolished as part of the plans.
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Some committee members expressed concern about the proposed road layout, with SNP councillor John Beare highlighting reservations about a “curly cul-de-sac” and Labour councillor Gordon Langlands suggesting it be replaced with a complete loop.
However, planners said the layout would need a complete redesign for that to happen and recommended the plan for approval as it stood.
A report by case officer Katherine Pollock to committee on Monday said building works would have to take into account the site’s coal mining legacy.
However, the extent of any potential contamination and ground stability issues will not be known until the existing buildings on the site are removed.
Ms Pollock added that the housing development might cause capacity issues at Kirkcaldy High School, St Marie’s Roman Catholic Primary School and Valley Primary School.
The 41 new build houses will range from one to two-and-a-half storeys in height and will have two to five bedrooms, while the Mansion House will be converted into nine flats with one, two and three bedrooms.
