The Local Plan Development Strategy - Fife Council - Consultation Home

Introduction

9Introduction

13Policy Context and How to Comment on the Local Plan

The Local Plan Development Strategy

15Strategic Context

15Strategic Locations

19Sustainable Development

20Developing the economy

22Meeting housing needs

26Safeguarding and improving the environment

28Providing for Infrastructure and Community Needs

31Developing the Transport Network

32Implementation, Monitoring and Review

Settlement Plans

35Settlement Plans

35Introduction

36Settlement and Landward Plans

38Anstruther and Cellardyke Settlement Plan

43Auchtermuchty Settlement Plan

45Balmerino and Kirkton of Balmerino Settlement Plan

46Balmullo Settlement Plan

46Colinsburgh Settlement Plan

48Crail Settlement Plan

54Cupar Settlement Plan

66Cupar Muir

66Dairsie Settlement Plan

67Drumoig Settlement Plan

FINALISED ST ANDREWS & EAST FIFE LOCAL PLAN 2009

Contents

Dunshalt Settlement Plan 68

70Elie and Earlsferry Settlement Plan

70Falkland Settlement Plan

71Gauldry Settlement Plan

73Guardbridge Settlement Plan

78Kettlebridge and Kingskettle Settlement Plan

78Kilconquhar and Barnyards Settlement Plan

80Kingsbarns Settlement Plan

82Ladybank Settlement Plan

84Largoward Settlement Plan

86Leuchars Settlement Plan

90Lundin Links, Lower Largo & Upper Largo Settlement Plan

93Newburgh and Burnside Settlement Plan

96Newport on Tay and Wormit Settlement Plan

103Pittenweem Settlement Plan

105Springfield Settlement Plan

107St Andrews Settlement Plan

123St Monans Settlement Plan

127Stratheden Settlement Plan

127Strathkinness Settlement Plan

130Tayport Settlement Plan

135Landward Area – Development Proposals outwith Settlement Boundaries

Local Plan Policies

147Local Plan Policies

147POLICY INDEX

149POLICY D1 DEVELOPER CONTRIBUTIONS

150POLICY D2 LOCAL EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS

150POLICY R1 RETAIL CENTRES

153POLICY R2 CONVENIENCE RETAIL OUTWITH TOWN OR LOCAL CENTRES

154POLICY R3 COMPARISON RETAIL OUTWITH TOWN OR LOCAL CENTRES


Contents

POLICY R4 FACTORY SHOPS 155

155POLICY B1 ESTABLISHED EMPLOYMENT AREAS - SAFEGUARDING

156POLICY B2 PROTECTING EXISTING EMPLOYMENT/TOURISM/LOCAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES

157POLICY B3 WORKING FROM HOME

157POLICY B4 AREAS OF MIXED USE

157POLICY B5 TOURISM AND HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS

158POLICY B6 COMMERCIAL LEISURE DEVELOPMENT

158POLICY H1 DEVELOPMENT PLAN DEPARTURES – HOUSING SITES

159POLICY H2 AFFORDABLE AND SPECIAL NEEDS HOUSING

160POLICY H3 HOUSES IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION

161POLICY H4 GYPSY TRAVELLERS AND TRAVELLING SHOWPEOPLE

162POLICY E1 DEVELOPMENT OUTWITH TOWN AND VILLAGE ENVELOPES

162POLICY E2 DEVELOPMENT WITHIN TOWN AND VILLAGE ENVELOPES

163POLICY E3 DEVELOPMENT QUALITY – ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

164POLICY E4 DEVELOPMENT QUALITY - DESIGN

165POLICY E5 HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND OPEN SPACE

166POLICY E6 CONTAMINATED LAND

167POLICY E7 CONSERVATION AREAS

167POLICY E8 LISTED BUILDINGS

168POLICY E9 DEMOLITION OF LISTED BUILDINGS

168POLICY E10 PROTECTION OF ORCHARDS AND RIGGS

168POLICY E11 HISTORIC GARDENS AND DESIGNED LANDSCAPES

169POLICY E12 ANCIENT MONUMENTS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

170POLICY E13 STREET FURNITURE

170POLICY E14 PUBLIC ART

171POLICY E15 DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

172POLICY E16 HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

173POLICY E17 GREEN BELT

174POLICY E18 PROTECTION OF AGRICULTURAL LAND

174POLICY E19 SPECIAL LANDSCAPE AREAS

174POLICY E20 WATERCOURSES AND WETLANDS


Contents

POLICY E21 EUROPEAN PROTECTED SPECIES 175

176POLICY E22 LOCAL BIODIVERSITY AND GEODIVERSITY SITES

176POLICY E23 PROTECTION OF BIODIVERSITY

178POLICY E24 TREE PRESERVATION ORDERS

178POLICY E25 TREES ON DEVELOPMENT SITES

179POLICY E26 NEW TREE PLANTING

179POLICY E27 THE COAST

180POLICY E28 LANDFILL

181POLICY E29 WASTE MANAGEMENT SITES

181POLICY C1 COMMUNITY AND LEISURE FACILITIES

182POLICY C2 SPORTS FACILITIES WITHIN SETTLEMENTS

183POLICY C3 SPORTS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

183POLICY C4 OPEN SPACE AND URBAN PARK

184POLICY C5 PUBLIC OPEN SPACE

185POLICY C6 ALLOTMENTS

185POLICY C7 SCHOOL AND FURTHER EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENT GROUND

185POLICY C8 FOOTPATHS/CYCLEWAYS/BRIDLEWAYS

186POLICY T1 THE TRANSPORT NETWORK

187POLICY T2 TRAFFIC SAFETY IN NEW DEVELOPMENT

187POLICY I1 RENEWABLE ENERGY

190POLICY I2 COMBINED HEAT AND POWER

190POLICY I3 WATER AND SEWERAGE

191POLICY I4 FLOODING AND WATER QUALITY

192POLICY I5 SUSTAINABLE URBAN DRAINAGE

192POLICY I6 TELECOMMUNICATIONS

194POLICY I7 HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSULTATION ZONES

Glossary

195Glossary


Contents

Ordnance Survey CopyrightStatement

Ordnance Survey Copyright Statement

The mapping used in this document is based uponOrdnance Survey material with the permission ofOrdnance Survey on behalf of HMSO. © Crowncopyright and database right (2009). All rightsreserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number100023385

Alternative languages and formats

This document is called the Finalised St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan 2009. It describes whereand how development will take place in the area over the 10 years from 2008 - 2018 to meet futureenvironmental, economic, and social needs, and provides an indication of development beyondthis to 2026. To request an alternative format or translation of this information please use thetelephone numbers on the panel above. When you call, please quote the title of this document.Calls cost 3 to 5p per minute from a UK landline, mobile rates may vary. If English is not your firstlanguage and you would like to improve your English please call any of our Language Lines or theAlternative Formats Line above for any information on courses and support.

Niniejszy dokument nosi tytuł: „Zatwierdzony lokalny plan zagospodarowania St Andrews iEast Fife 2009” (Finalised St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan 2009). Opisuje on, jakie części rejonui w jaki sposób będą zagospodarowywane w ciągu dziesięciu lat 2008 - 2018, aby sprostać przyszłympotrzebom środowiskowym, ekonomicznym i społecznym. Zawiera również informacje o kierunkachdalszego rozwoju do roku 2026. Aby zamówić inny format lub tłumaczenie tych informacji, prosimyo kontakt pod numerami telefonu podanymi powyżej. Dzwoniąc należy podać tytuł tego dokumentu.Koszt połączenia wynosi 3-5p za minutę z brytyjskich telefonów stacjonarnych, koszty połączeń ztelefonów komórkowych mogą być różne. Jeśli język angielski nie jest Twoim językiem ojczystymi chciałbyś poprawić swoją znajomość angielskiego, zadzwoń pod dowolny z powyższych numerówpo informacje na temat dostępnych kursów i pomocy.

5FINALISED ST ANDREWS & EAST FIFE LOCAL PLAN 2009






Foreword

By Councillor John Beare, Chair of Fife Council’sPlanning Committee

It is my pleasure to presentthe Finalised St Andrews &East Fife Local Plan 2009 asapproved by Fife CouncilPlanning Committee on 30June 2009. This Plan replacesboth the consultative draftprepared in March 2005 andthe finalised draft approvedfor public consultation inAugust 2006.

The Plan implements the strategic vision set outin the Fife Structure Plan (approved by the ScottishGovernment earlier this year) as it applies to theSt Andrews & East Fife area. It contains proposalsto guide the area’s development over the 10 yearperiod until 2018 providing land for many usessuch as employment, homes, leisure and learning.A Local Plan is the basic suite of documents andpolicies which Fife Council will use to guideplanning decisions and promote investment inFife.

The Plan contributes toward Fife Council’s Big 8priorities to achieve the vision of making Fife agreat place to live, work and visit, in particular by:

Helping make Fife the leading green councilin ScotlandImproving local conditions for economicdevelopmentIncreasing access to housing andImproving sport, leisure and culturalopportunities.

The Local Plan strategy sets out a significantprogramme of investment in economicdevelopment across the area – a key factor inensuring that St Andrews & East Fife continues tobalance successful, sustainable growth with localneeds and demand, especially in the currenteconomic climate.

Key proposals contained in the Plan include:-

Higher levels of affordable housingdevelopment in local communities - 30% ofall houses in the St Andrews housing marketarea will be affordable with 20% in the Cuparhousing market areaNew business parks in Cupar and St Andrews,a science park in St Andrews linked with theUniversity, and other employment sitesthroughout the Local Plan area, highlightingour commitment to assisting the creation ofand sustainability of employment throughoutFife.Renewable energy to be incorporated intodevelopment proposals to ensure that at least15% of the energy output is met on site.Greater emphasis on design andmasterplanning, with developers required toconsult communities to help shape betterquality development for the long term.

In preparing this Local Plan, extensive consultationtook place with community representatives, localinterest groups, developers and elected members.The publication of the Plan gives you a furtheropportunity to submit comments, either writtenor online, on matters which you feel should bealtered be that something for inclusion,amendment or deletion from the Plan. The Planhas been informed by the outcome of the 2008/09public consultation on the Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment and a revised version of theEnvironmental Report is being published forcomment alongside the Local Plan.

Comments submitted in response to this LocalPlan will be considered by Fife Council. These mayresult in changes being made to the Plan beforeany remaining representations are heard at a LocalPlan Examination to be held by a Reporterappointed by the Scottish Government. Thereafterthe Council hopes to be in a position to adopt theLocal Plan as Council Policy during 2011.

In the meantime I reiterate thanks on behalf of FifeCouncil to all who have contributed to bringingthe Local Plan to this stage and look forward toyour further participation in progressing this Plan.



Introduction

The Fife Development Plan provides the statutorypolicy framework for land use planning in Fife. Itis made up of the Fife Structure Plan and LocalPlans. The Structure Plan sets the strategicguidance for the future development of Fife andidentifies the general location and scale ofdevelopment.

The Fife Structure Plan covers the 20-year periodfrom 2006-26. The St Andrews & East Fife LocalPlan is one of 4 Local Plans being prepared. Fife’sother Local Plans cover Kirkcaldy & Mid Fife, andDunfermline & West Fife, and there is a Local Plandedicated solely to minerals, called the FifeMinerals Subject Local Plan.

The strategy of this Local Plan complements thatof the Structure Plan and covers the period2008-18. It applies the Structure Plan strategylocally, establishing a detailed, site-specificframework of policies and proposals for land useand other related matters. It guides and promotesdevelopment in the area and explains how townsand villages will change over the Plan period. Inaddition, it provides for stability in areas where nosignificant change is proposed.

Figure 1.2 (St Andrews & East Fife Local PlanProcess) outlines the Local Plan process.

A finalised draft St Andrews & East Fife Local Planwas approved by the former Environment &Development Committee on 31st August, 2006 asa basis for public consultation. However, theplanned consultation on that document(scheduled for the early months of 2007) had tobe cancelled due to uncertainties surrounding theFife Structure Plan position at that time.

This current document is part of the second stagein preparing and consulting on the St Andrews &East Fife Local Plan. It is called the Finalised StAndrews & East Fife Local Plan 2009. It updatesand replaces the finalised draft Plan. That versionof the Plan was prepared following publicconsultation on the consultative draft Local Plan.This took place during spring 2005 when the draftPlan was placed on deposit as part of the Be a Partof Fife’s Future consultation. In preparing the

consultative draft Local Plan in 2004-05, FifeCouncil Development Services consulted with awide range of bodies. We also ran a series of publicconsultation events from 2003 including YourPlace, Your Plan in spring 2004. CommunityPlanning partners and public agencies such as theScottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) were involvedthroughout these consultations.

When adopted, the Plan will replace the 4 LocalPlans (Cupar and Howe of Fife; Tay Coast; StAndrews Area; Largo and East Neuk) that arecurrently in place for the St Andrews and East Fifearea. All of the views and comments made at theconsultative draft, SEA Scoping, finalised draft andFirst Stage Environmental Report stages have beenconsidered in preparing this Plan. Manyopportunities have already been provided for localpeople and community organisations to becomeinvolved in the shaping of the policies andproposals that make up the St Andrews & East FifeLocal Plan.

This Local Plan comprises:

The Plan Statement which describes theoverall strategy and provides a summary ofthe planning issues, policies, and proposalsaffecting individual towns and villages. Theseare described in Settlement Plans.A Proposals Map identifying the location ofdevelopment proposals and where policiesapply geographically. The Proposals Mapincludes individual Settlement map insetsPolicies which are used in decisions tomanage and promote development.

An Action Programme is published along withthe Local Plan describing planning proposals, whois responsible for implementing them, and theiranticipated timescales. The Action Programme willbe updated every two years to monitor progresson implementing the Local Plan.

The Action Programme includes the PlanningObligations Financial Framework.

A CD containing the Plan documents andsupporting papers, for example the DevelopmentFramework for the Curtis Fine Papers site,



Guardbridge, is available. The documents and allassociated papers are also available online atwww.fifedirect.org.uk. A link from this websiteallows all of the documents to be viewedinteractively and comments to be made online. Itshould be noted that non-Fife Council documentsincluded as supporting papers have not beenendorsed by the Council for planning purposesand do not form part of the Finalised St Andrews& East Fife Local Plan 2009.

The Environmental Assessment of Plans andProgrammes (Scotland) Regulations 2004(1) hasmade Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)of local development plans a statutoryrequirement. SEA has been undertaken inpreparing the Local Plan to comply with theRegulations and European legislation and anenvironmental report has been prepared forconsultation alongside the Local Plan. Theintention of SEA is to provide for a high level ofprotection of the environment and to contributeto the integration of environmental considerationsinto the preparation and adoption of plans andprogrammes with a view to promoting sustainabledevelopment (EC Directive 2001/42/EC).

1 Note: Whilst the 2004 regulations were largely revoked by the later Environmental Assessment(Scotland) Act 2005, those plans begun on or before 19th February 2006 still fall to be consideredunder the 2004 Regulations - this is the case with the St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan process.







Policy Context and How toComment on the Local Plan

The Scottish Government has published Scotland’sNational Planning Framework 2, which sets out anachievable long-term vision for Scotland andidentifies the likely change to 2025. It identifiesthe strategic development potential of theAberdeen- Edinburgh-Newcastle transportcorridor, which crosses the Local Plan area, andidentifies Mid Fife as an area of national priorityfor environmental enhancement. Local Planstrategy has been reviewed to ensure that anychanges necessitated through the NationalPlanning Framework 2 are incorporated within theLocal Plan.

The Local Plan has also been prepared in thecontext of the National Economic Strategy. Thispromotes sustainable economic growth and theproposals contained within the Local Plancontribute to this objective.

The Local Plan is prepared under the umbrella ofthe Fife Community Plan and the Fife StructurePlan which has been prepared in the context ofthe National Planning Framework. The CommunityPlan provides the shared vision for Fife of publicsector partners and the wider Fife community overthe next ten years. The Local Plan also has regardto other plans and programmes prepared by FifeCouncil and its partners, including the FifeEconomic Development Strategy, the LocalHousing Strategy and the Local Transport Strategy.The Structure Plan will be replaced by newStrategic Development Plans for both Edinburghand Dundee City Regions. Fife is within both ofthese regions for strategic planning.

The Fife Development Plan fits into a wider legalcontext set by European Directives and is guidedby the Scottish Government’s Scottish PlanningPolicies (SPPs), Planning Advice Notes (PANs) andcirculars. These are available on the ScottishGovernment website –http://www.scotland.gov.uk. Their contents arereflected in this Plan’s policies but not repeated.

At this stage in the Local Plan, representations to(as well as support for) the Plan are invited.

You can view the Plan atwww.fifedirect.org.uk/developmentplan under StAndrews and East Fife, where additionalinformation is also available. You can access theonline consultation from here or fromwww.fifedirect.org.uk/haveyoursay (follow thelinks to the St Andrews and East Fife Local Planconsultation).

If you do not have access to the internet,please use the form supplied with the Plan.If you need more forms email

[email protected] outing EFLP2a Formin the subject field, call 08451 55 55 53 andrequest Form EFLP2a or go to your Fife CouncilLocal Service Centre or Library in the Local PlanArea.

The Plan is available for public consultation for aminimum 6 week period. If appropriate, this periodmay be extended to ensure effective communityengagement.

Please return completed comment formsto the address on the form, or submitonline to [email protected].

Emails should be titled: EFLP2a St Andrews andEast Fife Local Plan.

For further information, contact the Local& Community Policy team on 01592583290





Strategic Context

1. The National Planning Framework (NPF),which is a strategy for the long-termdevelopment of Scotland’s towns, cities andcountryside, identifies key strategicinfrastructure needs to ensure that each partof the country can develop to its full potential.The Fife Structure Plan takes account of theNPF, provides a 20 year vision for Fife and setsthe strategic land use policy context for StAndrews and East Fife. The followingparagraphs list what this means for the wholeLocal Plan area.

2. Sustainable development:

Developing and maintaining sustainablecommunities by delivering affordablehousing as part of new development. Thisincludes promoting Strategic LandAllocations in Cupar, St Andrews,Tayport/Newport/Wormit and in the EastNeuk settlementsAccommodating projected growth in Fife’spopulationSupporting and strengthening the ruraleconomy by encouraging its diversificationFurther developing St Andrews as a highquality tourist destination and building onthe tourism industry throughout FifeProviding a choice of quality housing as wellas a choice of different locations, prices andtenures

3. Developing the economy:

Attracting inward investment, and supportingand strengthening the rural economy. In thiscontext, St Andrews will be promoted as oneof Fife’s key town centres and will bedeveloped as an international destinationwith the potential to build on its internationalprofile as a cultural, sporting, leisure, visitordestination and centre of academicexcellenceIdentifying strategic employment sitestogether with a seven-year supply ofemployment land in towns with a populationgreater than 5,000 and in clusters in rural

areas. This includes promoting class 4business use in town centre locationsIncreasing job opportunities and directingnew employment-creating development toSt AndrewsSupporting St Andrews’ development as anasset for the knowledge-based economy. Thisincludes support to realise the commercialpotential of the higher education sector andworking with the University to exploredevelopment of the campusFocussing retail growth in St Andrews and inCupar as district shopping centres, enhancingthe service role of Cupar Town Centre andconsolidating growth in other town centres

4. Safeguarding and improving theenvironment:

Designating a Green Belt for St Andrewswhich will manage long term planned growthfor the town and take account of the need toprotect the town’s character, landscapesetting and identity

5. Developing the transport network:

Maximising the efficient use of the Taycrossing to increase car sharing and the useof public transportPromoting mixed use developments toachieve improved accessibilityFocussing major developments on publictransport interchanges and town centresserved by public transport and increasingdevelopment densities in these areas. Thisincludes identifying opportunities forimprovements to public transportinfrastructureSupporting the provision of strategictransport improvements including a reliefroad for Cupar and a link road for St Andrews

Strategic Locations

6. The Local Plan applies the Structure Planstrategy at a local level and provides moredetailed local guidance.



7. The Structure Plan identifies Strategic LandAllocations at Cupar, St Andrews,Tayport/Newport/Wormit and in the EastNeuk settlements. These locations presentthe best opportunity to further developestablished settlements at a scale which candeliver infrastructure and services, and whichare sustainable in terms of location and in themix of land uses to meet community andeconomic needs. Development in these areaswill largely be on greenfield land due to thelimited amount of brownfield land in East Fife,whilst maximising the re-development ofbrownfield land where possible. All newdevelopment will require to be of a highquality in terms of layout and design, andshould adhere to the principles containedwithin the guidance in Fife Council's FifeMasterplans Handbook.

8. Masterplans will be prepared to guidedevelopment in the Strategic LandAllocations. The masterplans will specify thephasing, scale and siting of development inline with the Fife Development Plan and willbe prepared in consultation and with theinvolvement of the communities affected.The masterplans will require Fife Councilapproval before they are implemented andmust demonstrate how they will help tocreate sustainable communities by providing:

Housing to meet a wide variety of needs,including affordable housing;Employment land to attract and retain jobs;andDevelopment to meet identified social andcommunity needs.

9. All development must be of high qualitydesign to produce an attractive and safeenvironment in which to live, work, play,invest and learn.

10. The Local Plan provides detail over a 10 yearperiod (2008–18) while indicating, in broadterms, development over the longer term toinform communities, landowners andinvestors.

11. In determining locations for newdevelopment, Fife Council has taken accountof opinion expressed through publicinvolvement events and balanced this againstwider public interests. These are areas whereinfrastructure capacity is available, or whereit should be provided and can be supportedby further development; which relate wellwith the transport network; which have anacceptable or manageable environmentalimpact; and which are accessible to corecommunity services such as schools, shops,or local facilities either on a self-containedbasis or collectively as a cluster ofcommunities

12. St Andrews

13. St Andrews remains one of Scotland’s mostpopular locations as a place to live. Its role asthe principal town in East Fife is recognisedin the Local Plan strategy. The developmentstrategy is to expand St Andrews over thenext 20 years to realise the potential oftourism and the University as an economicdriver for Fife, whilst balancing this with theneed to protect its internationally importantheritage. Development at NorthHaugh/Langlands, and at land at CraigtounRoad, make up the St Andrews West StrategicLand Allocation. This will provide foremployment land, 1,090 houses, (includinga minimum of 30% affordable), andcommunity development over a 20-yearperiod. The Fife Structure Plan proposes aslightly lower proportion of housingdevelopment for the St Andrews HousingMarket Area than its share of Fife’s populationwould merit and this is reflected in the LocalPlan.

14. To fulfil St Andrews’ role, the town needsfurther employment land to provideopportunities for economic development,and to deliver affordable housing, whilstprotecting and enhancing the landscapesetting. To increase the contribution thatscience and technology make to the Fifeeconomy and develop links outwith Fife,opportunities are identified for a science park,



new business parks, and expansion of thetourism sector. New business parks willsupport local businesses as well as providingopportunities for further employment in thetown.

15. The Local Plan allocates sites at the Universityof St Andrews’ North Haugh/Langlandscampus west of the town centre to identifyand protect the land required for neweducational facilities, and to accommodatethe academic growth and commercial spin-offdevelopments anticipated to take place overthe period to 2026. It also identifiesopportunities for housing development. Theextension of the University campus,incorporating a Science Park, will ensure thatresearch at the University can becommercialised for the benefit of the localeconomy. The Council will work with theUniversity of St Andrews to explore thedevelopment of the campus over a 20-yearperiod.

16. There is also a need to explore the creationof a single school site for Madras College.Three options are available - South Street,Kilrymont, or incorporated into the StrategicLand Allocation as part of the new Universitycampus. This latter option would allow thepotential for shared community facilities tobe developed as part of the school site. Theprovision of a new secondary school in thePlan area is subject to review and will be thefocus of a separate community consultationduring the lifetime of the Local Plan.

17. St Andrews’ attraction as a place to live,together with limited developmentopportunities, has affected the housingmarket. Land and house prices have increasedto the extent that new affordable housing forlocal people on lower incomes have all butdisappeared. Development pressure on thetown’s open spaces and older employmentsites has also increased. In response to this,St Andrews has been designated as aPressured Area which suspends some tenants’rights to buy their council or housingassociation house. Due to the high need for

affordable housing in the area, a higherproportion of new housing development isrequired to be affordable, compared to otherareas in Fife. St Andrews needs to provide thescale of development that will help tocontribute investment in new housing withinthe St Andrews Housing Market Area and toprovide, within the town, housing that isaffordable to more people in the localcommunity, community facilities and services,employment opportunities and infrastructure,thereby helping to sustain the community.The Local Plan acknowledges the need tosupport public sector funding for newfacilities serving St Andrews and the widerarea. However, significant private sectorcapital secured through developercontributions will be required to provide thescale of investment necessary.

18. The strategy recognises that the town'slandscape setting has limited capacity toaccommodate expansion. This limit is definedby a Green Belt boundary which is set for 20years and will be subject to a review by 2028.Development within the first 10 years of thatperiod is identified on the Proposals Map. TheGreen Belt boundaries take account of theneed to manage development over andbeyond the Local Plan period, and to protectSt Andrews’ character and landscape setting

19. Cupar

20. Cupar’s growth over the last 30 years has notbeen matched by the growth in the town’sservices and facilities. Cupar has remainedpopular as a place to live and this wasreflected in rapid increases in house priceswhich placed it as one of the least affordabletowns in Scotland in which to buy a houseaccording to pre-recession surveys. The townhas lost its role as a ‘County Town’ andagricultural market for the surrounding area.Demand for houses in the town remains highbut this has not been matched by growth inemployment opportunities.

21. The Local Plan strategy for Cupar is toconsolidate the town’s role as the principal



centre for services and facilities serving thewider rural hinterland, involving thedevelopment of 1,400 houses, communityfacilities and infrastructure, enhancededucation facilities and business andcommercial land over a 20-year period. Theproposals in this Local Plan begin the movetowards this aim by promoting developmentto accommodate changes in household size,increases in population, attracting andretaining services, providing employmentopportunities and addressing trafficmanagement issues. The scale ofdevelopment proposed will help to minimiseinfrastructure costs.

22. One of the main challenges for the town ishow development can be channelled toresolve transportation issues. Thedevelopment strategy for the town over thenext 20 years will enable the construction ofa northern relief road to be funded throughdevelopment. The road will resolve many ofthe congestion and environmental issueswhich impact on the town centre. It will alsoprovide development options foremployment land (including a business park),housing, bulky-goods retailing, communityfacilities, infrastructure, and public transportconnections. Binding legal agreements willensure that the road is built early in theconstruction phase of associated housingdevelopments.

23. Construction of the relief road will allow forfurther traffic calming measures andassociated environmental improvements tobe introduced in the town centre guided bya Town Centre Improvement Framework. Inaddition, any house building on sites withinCupar (but outwith the Cupar North StrategicLand Allocation) will be required to makefinancial contributions to the revitalisation ofthe town centre. Further details on financialcontributions are contained in the PlanningObligations Financial Framework in the ActionProgramme accompanying the Local Plan.

24. These measures are seen as part of a packageto safeguard the viability and function of

central Cupar as the town is extended to thenorth. They will include environmental andpublic path improvements which shouldmake a significant contribution to improvingenvironmental quality within the town. It isenvisaged that a better quality environmentin the town centre should also attract furtherbusinesses and the Local Plan encourages thedevelopment of office-based business there.

25. Development will be phased over the 20 yearperiod and will be guided by masterplans tobe prepared for Council approval. Themasterplans will also address developmentphasing, design principles, land-uses andlayout, access, and integration with the builtup area. They will help avoid piecemealdevelopment and will be the means throughwhich a planned extension to the town canbe created to a high standard. Publicinvolvement will continue as the masterplansare developed and implemented.

26. Tayport/Newport/Wormit

27. The Tay bridgehead communities, focussedon Tayport, Newport-on-Tay, and Wormit, areimportant to Fife’s connections to the northbecause of the cross-Tay transport links, andthe shopping, business, and employmentrelationships with Dundee and Angus. Theplanning strategies of Fife, Dundee andAngus have been to meet the housing anddevelopment needs of their respective areas,particularly in relation to housing, so thatunnecessary commuter traffic is discouraged.This approach to housing land and theprovision of new opportunities for localemployment land is continued in this LocalPlan. The Fife Structure Plan identifiesdevelopment of up to 630 houses over a20-year period. The scale of developmentproposed meets needs for housing andemployment land and supports the case forthe opening of a rail halt at Wormit in thelonger term. The Local Plan identifiesdevelopment to 2018 and indicates thedirection of growth beyond that period.

28. East Neuk Settlements



29. The East Neuk is less well served in respect of

its connections with the transport networkwhen compared with other populationcentres in Fife. It is nevertheless a populararea to set up home and to visit, and plays animportant role in Fife’s rural economy. Theprincipal service centre for the area isAnstruther & Cellardyke which, together, havebecome established as an area of tourism andcommercial activity. The East Neuk is alsonotable for a high proportion of secondhomes which add pressure to the localhousing market. This is indicative of thechanging role of the East Neuk which hassuffered economically from restructuring infishing and agriculture and is increasinglyseen as an attractive location for retirees and‘weekend residents’ which affects localeconomic activity. As with St Andrews, in2006 the Scottish Government agreed to FifeCouncil’s request to identify part of the EastNeuk as a Pressured Area. This suspends therights of some tenants to buy their house. Ahigher proportion (30%) of new housingdevelopment is required to be affordable,compared to other areas in Fife, due to thehigh need for affordable housing.

30. The Fife Structure Plan identifiesdevelopment of 500 houses on greenfieldsites over a 20-year period. The Local Plan willhelp to further develop diversity and growthin this area by capitalising on the existingassets and encouraging economic diversity.The character of the area will be safeguardedand its distinctiveness retained by avoidingcoalescence along the coastal strip. Whilstdevelopment proposals are predominantlyhousing-led, other development land releaseswill be for commercial and employment landappropriate to the needs of the area.Employment land is identified in Anstruther,St Monans, and Crail.

Sustainable Development

31. The Local Plan aims to safeguard resourcesand to locate development where it haslimited impact on the environment and the

most positive social and economic effects.Sites have been selected for housing,employment and other development fromthose considered best able to meet theseaims and so help create sustainablecommunities. New settlements are notproposed; instead, new developments willbe integrated with existing communities sothat more people can benefit from enhancedfacilities. Sustainability should not be seen asa barrier to building on previouslyundeveloped land or countryside, however.Where proposals can bring benefits to newand existing communities, development willbe considered in line with the Local Planstrategy and policies.

32. The Local Plan will promote sustainablecommunities through:

Identifying sites which encourage people towalk, cycle or use public transport to get towork, school and community facilities eitherin individual settlements or collectively acrossa number of neighbouring communities;Improving travel choices through promotingpublic transport and the development ofnon-vehicular links such as pedestrian andcycle paths in conjunction with the core pathsidentified in the Fife Core Paths Plan;Supporting new development whichminimises and mitigates environmentalimpact, including moving towards low or zerocarbon development where it conforms withother Local Plan policies;Supporting the provision of garden groundand allotments;Encouraging domestic renewable energy andshared sources of energy;Promoting buildings that can provide fordifferent needs over time;Safeguarding and creating green corridorsfor biodiversity and access - the latter inconjunction with the core paths system;Providing for a range of housing densitiesappropriate to the scale and location of thesite, and increasing the number of units perhectare, particularly where the development



sites are close to town centres and/or keypublic transport interchanges; andProviding a choice of quality housing stylesand size, as well as a choice of differentlocations, prices and tenures.

33. Substantial progress has already beenachieved in the promotion of sustainabledevelopment in other parts of Fife, and thishas been reflected through a number ofproposed major developments such asrenewable energy at Energy Park Fife inMethil and development of a green businesspark at Westfield, near Kinglassie. We will seekto encourage suitable proposals to promotesustainable development in East Fife wherethese accord with Development Plan policies.

Developing the economy

34. The Local Plan sets objectives to expand theeconomy by:

Improving local employment prospects byidentifying land for business and commercewhich will help to sustain the rural economyand provide jobs;Supporting St Andrews in its role as a centreof academic excellence and encouragingbusiness to develop on that foundation;Promoting Cupar as a location for businessinvestment and growth and consolidating itsrole as the service centre for East Fife;Diversifying the business and employmentbase by supporting new economicdevelopment;Encouraging new job opportunities close torural communities;Promoting sites for hotel development insupport of the tourist economy; andProviding for employment land across thePlan area, including promoting sites withintown centres for business use.

35. Competition for jobs is increasing not onlywithin Fife but also across Scotland, the UK,and in an expanded Europe. The 2009recession has added to these pressures. The

planning system needs to support the assetsthat can attract new and diverse economicactivity. East Fife has a high dependence ona large number of small businesses mainly inagriculture, construction, and services. TheLocal Plan strategy is not to compete withlarger urban areas but to build on the area’sstrengths such as the high qualityenvironment, tourist attractions, andeducational assets.

36. A healthy local economy and business sectoris essential to sustainable communities. Thisis acknowledged in Fife's Community Plan.Private and public sector initiatives can,within the Fife Development Plan framework,help create an environment in which the localeconomy can thrive and provide for theestablishment of new businesses – importantin rural areas where traditional jobs in thefishing and farming sectors are underpressure.

37. East Fife also has a considerable industrialheritage but, compared to other parts of Fife,manufacturing is not well represented in thepattern of employment. The recent closureof Curtis Fine Papers in Guardbridge providesevidence of further pressure on that sector.Nevertheless, over 84% of the adultpopulation in East Fife is economically active,above the Fife average of 80%(1). The areacontinues to attract economically activeresidents, partly because many are able totravel out of the area to work in skilled andprofessional occupations. Significant localemployment with large service sectorestablishments is restricted mainly to RAFLeuchars and the University of St Andrews,and also to public services in healthcare andwith Fife Council.

38. There are two strands to broadening the localbusiness base. The first is to build on thepotential for academic links to foster businessopportunities. The University of St Andrews,in particular, has a key role in this respect bydeveloping its landholdings at the western

1 (Source: Nomis, September 2008)



edge of the town to encourage small andmedium size businesses in spin-off businessspace. Scotland has the capacity to developsuch businesses which can create wealththrough the commercial development ofresearch and teaching. The University's globalreputation for excellence in scientific researchis an asset to Fife and Scotland. As one of thehighest rated universities in the field ofscientific research, it provides a platform fordeveloping knowledge based business,attracting further investment, and making amajor contribution to the Fife economythrough the volume and value of jobs itcreates. The Local Plan strategy is to workwith the University to realise the University'spotential to create economic opportunitiesfrom its academic activities as part of awestern expansion of St Andrews. The StAndrews Settlement Plan illustrates wheredevelopment will take place.

39. The second strand to expanding the businessbase in East Fife is to provide a flexibleplanning policy framework which will allownew employment opportunities andcommerce in rural areas as well as in towns.The Local Plan does this with a view tosupporting diversification of farmingactivities, giving preference to business useover housing when considering theredevelopment of rural properties, andencouraging more sites for employment landin areas where the demand is high and theopportunities exist.

40. A strategic objective of the Fife DevelopmentPlan is to provide a seven-year supply ofemployment land in towns with a populationgreater than 5,000 and in clusters within ruralareas. The Local Plan identifies newemployment land in St Andrews and Cupar,in the East Neuk and the Tay Bridgehead, andin some smaller settlements throughout EastFife to assist job prospects available to smallerand more rural communities. Thesedevelopment opportunities are identified inthe Settlement Plans. In addition, there ispolicy support for small scale businessdevelopment at the edge of settlements

where these contribute to the employmentland supply and meet other planning policies.

41. Class 4 business uses are promoted withinthe town centres of St Andrews and Cupar.Within some Areas of Mixed Use, developerswill be required to provide fully-serviced class4 business premises prior to completion ofhousing development.

42. Town centres

43. The main town centres in East Fife have a keyrole in local economic growth by supportingemployment, leisure and cultural services,and retailing and business. St Andrews is oneof the town centres in Fife regarded as key toFife's economic growth and the Plan strategyrecognises that the town has the potential tomake a contribution to the economy of EastFife and Fife as a whole. The Settlement Planfor St Andrews explains in more detail whatthis means in terms of land use anddevelopment in the town. Compared to thatenvisaged for Cupar, St Andrews' retail roleis seen as serving more visitor and tourismneeds, but with an emphasis on quality. Thiswill include changes to the town centre'senvironment to provide for a more attractiveand comfortable experience for all who useit.

44. Cupar has a role as the service centre formuch of rural East Fife. The Local Planproposes additional development in the townto enhance this function. This will be metwithin the town centre, providing furtheropportunities for retail and business use, andthrough a new retail park in association withthe northern expansion of the town. The retailpark will accommodate bulky goods retail tocomplement, rather than compete with, theretailing available within the town centre andwill provide for the retention of retailexpenditure within Fife. The vision for Cuparis one which consolidates its role as animportant retail centre for East Fife, given itscentral location, and where non-retailbusinesses - such as the professional servicessector - can develop further.



45. Tourism

46. East Fife has a leisure economy based around

golf and tourism. Tourism is a cornerstone ofthe local economy in many parts of East Fife,and is nationally significant in terms ofincome and supporting employment. StAndrews’ role is again central to the Planstrategy as it has a competitive advantage asthe recognised 'home of golf' and through itscultural connections. In addition, theUniversity has potential to support tourismthrough its heritage, accommodation, andacademic resources. East Fife as a whole isattractive to visitors as a place for leisureactivities with assets such as the environmentof the East Neuk coastal villages,championship golf courses, the Fife CoastalPath, Fife cycleways and inland walkingroutes.

47. Opportunities for hotel and commercialleisure development are supported by thePlan strategy and identified in St Andrews,Cupar, Guardbridge and Tayport.

48. Minerals

49. Mineral working is an important economicactivity but it consumes finite resources andcan also result in significant impacts on theenvironment and communities. Restoration,aftercare and after-use of sites are thereforeimportant planning considerations. The FifeStructure Plan and the Fife Minerals SubjectLocal Plan provide policy guidance on mattersrelating to minerals.

50. Developers should bear in mind thatdevelopment in former coalfield areas maybe affected by, or may itself affect, any of anumber of areas of concern arising as a legacyof coal mining. Such areas of concern may berelated to problems of ground stability,minewater contamination or seepage of minegases to the surface. Development proposalswill require to take account of thesepossibilities.

Meeting housing needs

51. The Local Plan Strategy to meet housing needis by:

Allowing for housing development to meetthe strategic housing land requirement andproviding a minimum five year effective landsupply at all times within each HousingMarket Area;Contributing to providing affordable andspecial needs housing to help meet Fife LocalHousing Strategy objectives;Allocating suitable land for development inlocations that are accessible to publictransport and basic community services,either on a self contained basis in settlements,or collectively within a cluster ofcommunities;Providing for a range of densities appropriateto the scale and location of the site,particularly in relation to proximity to themain public transport nodes andinterchanges;Encouraging new houses which are adaptableto meet future trends; andCreating sustainable communities andapplying the principles contained in the FifeUrban Design Guide.



52. Local Plan housing land requirement 2008-18

53. National planning policy requires development plans to ensure that there is, at all times a minimumfive-year supply of housing land in every Housing Market Area (HMA). This land is expected to befree from development constraints (ready to build) within the Plan period. At present there is nota minimum five-year land supply. The Finalised Local Plan provides an effective five-year land supplyin both the St Andrews and North East Fife, and Cupar and North West Fife Housing Market Areas.The land supply should, where possible, provide a variety of sites in terms of size, location, andhouse types in areas where potential house-buyers want to live. The Fife Structure Plan sets thehousing land requirement up to 2026. The Local Plan identifies land to meet this requirement overthe period to 2018.

54. The number of houses that require to be identified through this Local Plan by Housing Market Areaand by Local Plan Area are calculated as follows:

Shortfall (C)=Existing Housing Supply (B)-Housing Land

Requirement (A)

Sites to be identifiedthrough the Local Plan (E)

=Strategic Land Allocation

(D)-

Shortfall

(C)



Fife Structure Plan Housing Market Area (HMA) Housing Land Requirement 2008-18

Number to befound throughthe Local Plan

Strategic LandAllocation

(D)

Shortfall

(C)

Existingsupply

(B)

Housing LandRequirement

(A)

Housing MarketArea (HMA)

(E)

1626488105901,400Cupar & NW Fife

HMA

-1351,2151,0801,1202,200St Andrews & East

Fife HMA

Notes:

(A) The Structure Plan requirement (A) is the 2008-18portion of the Structure Plan 20 year (2006-26)requirement relating to the St Andrews and North EastFife, and Cupar and North West Fife Housing MarketAreas.

(B) The existing supply figure comes from the effectivehousing supply (source: Fife Housing Land Audit 2008)and small sites (fewer than 5 houses), windfall, and urbancapacity sites assumptions (source: Fife Structure PlanReport of Survey, 2006).

(D) The Strategic Land Allocation figure (D) comes fromthe approved Fife Structure Plan (2006-26) and includesthe additional allocations it identifies for the period2008-18.

(E) The Fife Structure Plan requires the Local Plan toallocate 450 houses to the Cupar & NW Fife HousingMarket Area, and 930 houses to the St Andrews & NorthEast Fife Housing Market Area. The Local Plan allocationfor each Housing Market Area (E) is smaller than thosefigures because much of the Structure Plan’s requirementis contained in the existing supply (B) and Strategic LandAllocations. Additional Local Plan allocations have beenmade to provide an effective five-year land supply in eachHousing Market Area.

Fife Structure Plan Housing Land Requirement 2006-26 for Strategic Land Allocations (SLAs) as at May2009

2006-262021-262016-212011-162006-11Strategic LandAllocations

1,4004105704200Cupar North

1,09028038038050St Andrews West

63016022020050Tayport/Newport/Wormit

50010017517550East Neuk

3,6209501,3451,175150TOTAL

(Source: Approved Fife Structure Plan Proposals PH2 and PH3)

Notes:

These figures include the additional allocations introduced by the approved Structure Plan, May 2009, and are shownphased across each 5 year period.



55. The housing land requirement takes intoaccount the existing land supply, urbancapacity assessments, and contributions fromwindfall (unanticipated) sites, and small(fewer than 5 houses) sites. [However, notethat the housing land requirement is likely tobe reviewed in the future due to theintroduction of Strategic Development PlanAuthorities.]

56. In allocating land for development, theCouncil has taken account of the availabilityof infrastructure (or its provision throughdevelopment funding), the transport network,environmental factors, and access to corecommunity services such as schools, shops,or local facilities. Community consultationsundertaken in preparing the Plan confirmedthat there is widespread concern, particularlyamong smaller communities, that small townsand villages will become swamped by newdevelopment. Where possible, therefore, theCouncil has sought to apply someproportionality in allocating land fordevelopment and has adjusted thedistribution of housing land to take accountof physical, infrastructural, and environmentalfactors.

57. Five-year housing land supply

58. The housing land supply in the Fife HousingLand Audit 2008 provides the mostup-to-date housing position for the FinalisedLocal Plan and sets the baseline for meetingthe housing land requirement. The Local Planis the preferred means of identifying land fordevelopment; however, there may be otheropportunities which come forward duringthe lifetime of the Plan. The Settlement Plansand the Action Programme provide detailsof sites identified to meet the requirement.The Proposals Map identifies new allocations.The identified sites achieve a continuousfive-year land supply for both Housing MarketAreas as required by national policy.

59. Affordable housing

60. Two of Fife’s greatest assets – its location andenvironmental quality – contribute topressuring the housing market. Lying withincommuting distance of Dundee, Perth,Stirling, and Edinburgh has helped to attracta high demand from both within and beyondFife’s boundaries. The Local Housing Strategy(update 2008) states that 60% of secondhomes in Fife are in East Fife (almost 38% inthe East Neuk alone). The greatest house pricerises in Fife between 1998 and 2003 (80% andabove) have been in the East Neuk and StAndrews. The Scottish Governmentacknowledges the housing market issueswithin the Plan area and has agreed to theFife Council East Neuk and St Andrewslocalities having Pressured Area Status until2011, which suspends the right to buy forsome tenants.

61. Other initiatives include the Council’sAffordable Housing Policy, the selection of apreferred partnership for the delivery ofsubsidised affordable housing in Fife(currently the Fife Housing AssociationAlliance) and the Strategic HousingInvestment Plan (SHIP). Fife Council has alsoidentified funding in order to provide newbuild council housing in the region of 50 unitsper annum over the next five years.

62. Affordable housing, including special needshousing, will be sought where there is ademonstrated need. A mix of tenures will besought including low cost ownership andsocial rented although the Council’spreference is for social rented housing. GivenFife’s changing demographic profile, in termsof a projected increase in the number ofelderly persons, the provision of special needshousing will be important.

63. The Structure Plan sets the requirements forthe provision of affordable housing. Theproportions that apply are: 20% in the Cuparand North West Fife Housing Market Area,and; 30% in the St Andrews and North EastFife Housing Market Area. The Council willwork with the house building industry inproviding affordable housing as part of



development proposals. In the interests ofequity, delivery of affordable housing will besought on all appropriate development,commensurate with scale. (This may also beapplied to non residential development.) TheCouncil has produced SupplementaryGuidance on Affordable Housing (2006) whichprovides detailed advice on how affordablehousing will be achieved and remainaffordable to meet the future needs of localpeople.

Safeguarding and improving theenvironment

64. The Local Plan sets objectives to safeguardand improve the environment by:

Ensuring new development accords with theprinciples of sustainability and encouragesmore walking, cycling and use of publictransport;Promoting high standards of design anddevelopment to conserve landscape andurban character;Protecting the countryside from unplanneddevelopment sprawl whilst allowing fordevelopment which supports the ruraleconomy or has a specific need for a rurallocation;Conserving sites important to the naturalenvironment in terms of habitat or species,and conserving the built heritage;Supporting, where appropriate, renewableenergy initiatives.

65. Quality in the built environment

66. Well designed new development and publicspaces are essential to quality of life. Gooddesign can also have a positive effect on bothregeneration and economic wellbeing. It canimprove local pride and ownership in acommunity. Poorly designed developmentand public space often has precisely theopposite effect.

67. The Fife Development Plan promotes goodenvironmental quality. Aided by the FifeUrban Design Guide, Creating a Better Fife

and the Fife Masterplans Handbook, the LocalPlan strategy is to apply this objective to newdevelopment as well as the naturalenvironment so that the planning systemimproves what already exists, and createsvalue for the future. Specific proposals in theLocal Plan are identified to bring aboutimprovements in the built and naturalenvironment. Redevelopment of brownfield,derelict or damaged land, where appropriate,is encouraged in preference to greenfielddevelopment. However, greenfield release isstill required to implement the Plan strategy.The Local Plan's policies support the re-useof buildings in town and country where theproposed use is acceptable and meets theterms of these policies. In addition, the StAndrews Design Guidelines offers specificguidance for development in St Andrews.

68. The quality of design in new developmentscan be a contentious matter but there is nodoubt that a greater desire exists for designstandards to be raised and for guidance tobe applied. In many cases standards haveimproved but have done so inconsistently,and Local Plans have not assisted as much asthey might have done. This Local Planaddresses these concerns by raising designstandards and proposing the developmentof design guidance in planning briefs andmasterplans for large or particularly importantsites. Supplementary, more detailed, designguides will emerge during the lifetime of theLocal Plan. For the Strategic Land Allocationsin St Andrews and Cupar, development willbe on a phased basis and lead to the creationof a series of small neighbourhoods, ratherthan a single urban expansion. Distinct urbandesign in each area will help create a senseof place.

69. Planning briefs, including masterplans,provide planning guidance whichcomplements and supports the statutorydevelopment plan. They are not alternativesto the development plan but provide design,layout, infrastructure, and implementationguidelines or requirements for proposeddevelopment and provide clear advice to



developers and communities on what isexpected from development proposals. Whenthe Council approves planning briefs andmasterplans, following consultation with thelocal communities affected by them, they willbecome material policy guidance in decidingplanning applications. New and innovativedesigns are encouraged in locations wherethey will add quality to the built environment.Such locations will include conservation areasand rural locations. Design considerations inthese places will be more complex by virtueof their settings and the need to protect andaugment their characters.

70. The environmental assets of East Fife areconsiderable: these include: over 3,100 listedbuildings; 27 conservation areas; its landscapequality and character; over 4,500archaeological sites and more than 200ancient monuments; sites of importance tonature conservation, including the Isle of May,with international and national designationsas well as sites of more local importance; and129 Tree Preservation Orders. Afforested areasand the coastline are particular characteristicsof rural East Fife. The Fife Structure Planprovides policy guidance in relation to natureconservation sites of international andnational significance; the Local Plan provideslocal policy.

71. The pattern of towns, villages, and hamletsacross the Local Plan area is an integral partof the area's character. Local Plan proposalsfor new development take account of thesefeatures with a view to protecting the overallenvironmental quality, and have usedlandscape plans, where they exist, to informthe Plan. The Local Plan Proposals Mapdefines settlement envelopes only for thosetowns and villages of 25 houses or more, orwhere the Local Plan supports developmentthat will increase a settlement’s size tobeyond 25 houses. Settlements with fewerthan 25 houses are not defined by envelopesin the Local Plan and will be regarded asestablished clusters of housing within thecountryside.

72. Twenty-seven conservation areas are definedin the Local Plan. A phased programme isunderway to review Fife’s built heritageassets. In accordance with National PlanningPolicy, conservation area appraisals andmanagement plans will be prepared andbrought forward for consultation for all of theconservation areas in East Fife over the LocalPlan period.

73. The reasons for the designation and the mostimportant attributes of conservation areasneeds to be better explained to assistdecisions on development likely to have animpact on their character. Characterappraisals will therefore be prepared duringthe Local Plan period in accordance withnational planning policy.

74. The most significant spaces within andbetween town and villages are given policyprotection from development pressures. AGreen Belt for St Andrews has been defined.This will direct planned growth to appropriatelocations and protect the town's landscapesetting and critical views to and from thehistoric core, in accordance with nationalgreen belt policy.

75. In defining the Green Belt, the Council hasdecided that its boundary should endure andnot be subject to frequent revisions to meetnew development needs. The Green Beltboundary has been drawn to reflect a longterm settlement strategy and ensure thatplanned long term growth can beaccommodated. This is necessary to avoidthe cumulative erosion of the integrity of theGreen Belt through the approval of individualplanning permissions. Inner boundaries havetherefore been drawn to create an areabetween the current settlement envelopeand the Green Belt suitable to accommodateplanned growth over a 20 year period withoutthe need to encroach on Green Belt land. TheGreen Belt therefore sets a context for thefuture direction of St Andrews’ growth for atleast 20 years.



76. Development within the Green Belt’s innerboundary is managed by planning policy,including the use of masterplans, to identifyhow, where, and the broad extent of StAndrews’ future growth over the next 20years. This will include guidance on landscapemeasures required to accommodate futuredevelopment, where appropriate.

77. Green spaces are also shown where they helpto safeguard important tracts of undevelopedland which penetrate built-up areas andprovide access to the surroundingcountryside.

78. Areas of Great Landscape Value (AGLVs) havebeen important in Fife in helping to identifyareas where the landscape is held in highregard and have been designated in Fife formany years to protect their special landscapecharacter from unsympathetic development.However, the inclusion within Local Plans ofother policies on development in thecountryside, forestry and nature conservationas well as the cultural heritage can provide asimilar level of landscape protection at boththe broad and site specific landscape scalewhen considering development proposals.

79. The Fife Local Landscape Designation Reviewhas been used both to identify and designateSpecial Landscape Areas and can also supportthe enhancement of areas of lesser landscapeand habitat quality. This reflects emergingnational planning policy and will be a materialconsideration when assessing developmentproposals. All development proposals in theseareas will need to demonstrate a commitmentto landscape protection and improvement,and take account of the existing landscapefeatures.

80. Rural and coastal development

81. Development in the countryside is an areaof planning policy sitting between the twinaims of safeguarding Fife's rural landscapeand supporting the rural economy andcommunities. The Local Plan's policiesprovide a balance between these objectives

by supporting development for employmentand residential uses where they will help tosustain rural communities and encouragediversification. The aim is to enhance anddiversify the rural economy, provide for thecreation of local jobs in sustainable locations,support agricultural diversification, reducethe need to travel to work, and improveaccess, in particular to larger employmentcentres.

82. New businesses and commercial leisure andhousing developments can assist ruralregeneration of communities and the servicesthey draw on. However, this runs contrary toconventional transport policy. Assessmentmust be made to inform environmental,community, and transport considerations.The Local Plan identifies opportunities fordevelopment within the rural area whichprovide for local needs and sustain localservices and facilities.

83. Fife's coast forms part of its landscapecharacter – its ‘fringe of gold’ – and isrecognised as having an environmental andeconomic value. Provision is made fordevelopment that requires a coastal locationand contributes to the local economy. (Thecoastal zone is defined to assist decisions ondevelopment proposals. It includes landrelated to and influenced by the coast, landup to 250 metres inland from Mean HighWater Springs; the coastal landscapes definedin the Fife Landscape Character Assessment;and coastal habitats. The developed coasthas been defined as that within settlementswith a population greater than 2,000 andwhere there is existing large-scaledevelopment for industry, tourism andrecreation outwith settlement limits.)

Providing for Infrastructure andCommunity Needs

84. The Local Plan sets objectives for providingfor community needs and infrastructure by:

Supporting the development or improvementof educational, recreational, and leisure



opportunities and enabling the developmentof community facilities where the means ofproviding them are available.Encouraging the use of renewable energytechnologies as an alternative to fossil fuelsand encouraging renewable energy initiativeswithin local communities.

85. Successful implementation of the Local Planstrategy will rely on developments making acontribution to the costs they create in termsof impact on the environment, communities,infrastructure, and services. Wheredeficiencies occur, developers will beexpected to make an appropriatecontribution to any shortfall related to theirdevelopment as well as providing for all thatis required to bring forward thatdevelopment.

86. The Council wishes to work in partnershipwith developers to assist delivery and seeksto develop mechanisms to achieve this.Structure Plan Policy DC1 and Local PlanPolicy D1 (Developer Contributions) set outthe Council’s requirement for all newdevelopment to address any shortfalls incommunity infrastructure and/or mitigateany adverse impact they create by seekingdevelopment contributions to the costs. Noundue cost should fall to the public purse,particularly in bringing forward the StrategicLand Allocations. The Settlement Plansindicate the nature of contributions soughtfrom development proposals. Specificcontributions will be agreed as part of thedevelopment management process and,where appropriate, set out in masterplansand planning briefs.

87. This Local Plan includes a financial frameworkwhich apportions the total cost ofinfrastructure and services acrossdevelopment(s), and takes into account thelocational and cumulative pressures of each.The financial framework helps to illustratedeveloper requirements within the Plan areaand is consistent with national planning

policy on this matter.(1) It will be reviewed aspart of the Local Plan Action Programme.

88. The age structure of the Scottish populationhas changed significantly over recent yearsand the pattern in Fife closely follows thenational trend. The population profile for EastFife, compared to the Scottish average, ischaracterised by fewer residents aged under16, and more residents older than 64. Thereis a need to plan ahead so that futuredevelopment takes account of the anticipatedneeds likely to arise and to ensure socialservices such as education and healthcare areaccessible to Fife’s residents.

89. Planning for current and future health careprovision means locating services locally orenabling good access to services on aregional basis – across Council boundaries, ifnecessary. Healthcare, recreational, and retailservices – if not provided locally – areavailable in Mid Fife, Dundee, and Perth.Transport links to these areas are thereforeimportant to those resident in the Local Planarea. Taken together with other aspects ofthe strategy, the policy objectives in this LocalPlan contribute to achieving the aims of Fife’sCommunity Plan in terms of providing forstronger, safer, and well-educatedcommunities.

90. The strategy for the future development ofFife’s hospital and community health servicesin the Local Plan area includes theconstruction of a new hospital and healthcentre in St Andrews, serving the wider area.In Cupar, the NHS Fife Project Team has takenaccount of new housing development overthe period to 2026 when reporting plans forhealthcare provision. A business case hasbeen prepared for the redevelopment of theAdamson Hospital and the Cupar HealthCentre to include health centre and hospitalfacilities within the Cupar locality. Wherenecessary, land will be zoned for health andcare facilities including nursing homes.Developer contributions will be sought to

1 The Scottish Office Development Department Circular 12/1996



assist in the provision of new or expandedfacilities where this is necessitated by newhousing development. Sites for care homesare also identified as part of mixed usedevelopment for Strategic Land Allocations.

91. Services infrastructure

92. The supply and availability of water services– sewerage in particular – is a nationalplanning issue. Scottish Water, as the bodyresponsible for these services, is required tomeet the EU Water Framework Directive 2000,on the treatment of wastewater and this isdriving its spending priorities. This has hadthe effect of restricting the availability ofresources to meet the infrastructure needsarising from new development and meansthat the implementation of the Local Plan’sdevelopment strategy is affected significantlyby the available capacity in the system for thefirst five years or so of the Plan period. Landfor new development is allocated and phasedto take account of this restriction. This isreflected in the phasing of land fordevelopment in Anstruther, Cupar, StAndrews, and within theTayport/Newport/Wormit area. In accordancewith Policy D1 (Developer Contributions),where development proposals requireadditional investment in water and drainageservices, the Council requires that these willbe paid for by the developments to be served.

93. Waste management is primarily a strategicmatter and is addressed in the Fife StructurePlan and in the Fife Area Waste Plan. TheLocal Plan contributes to the implementationof these documents’ policies by safeguardingland at Lower Melville Woods, by Ladybank,as a site for waste disposal and recycling.Waste management at a neighbourhood levelwill be supported by requiring newdevelopments to accommodate facilities forwaste recycling, segregation, and collection.

94. Telecommunications infrastructure is now anessential part of everyday social, business,and leisure activities. It has also openedopportunities for access to services and

learning opportunities in rural locations. TheLocal Plan provides a policy framework whichsupports the development oftelecommunications infrastructure whilsthaving regard to environmentalconsiderations.

95. Renewable energy

96. National planning policy on renewableenergyand associated advice notes providethe national context for renewable energy.Further guidance is given in the Council’sPlanning Customer Guideline RenewableEnergy in Fife (2007) and SupplementaryPlanning Guidance Wind Energy (2008). FifeCouncil is committed to reducing carbondioxide emissions and promotes the use ofpassive solar design to achieve reductions inenergy requirements. The Council will alsoseek to achieve further savings by securingat least 15% of a development’s predictedenergy requirements generated on site fromlow or zero carbon technologies or by othermeasures on site delivering an equivalentcarbon dioxide reduction.

97. The commercial exploitation of potentialrenewable energy sources, including energycrops (biomass), is likely to be in the ruralparts of the Plan area and should beconsidered in the context of planning policiescovering such locations. In the case ofcommercial wind farms, the Local Plan definesa broad area of search to guide developmentproposals. In addition, the Planning CustomerGuidelines provide a general indication ofpreferred areas for other technologies suchas hydro power, geothermal energy, solarpower, and passive solar design.

98. Community infrastructure and services

99. Education capacity in primary and secondaryschools is a recurring theme expressedthrough community consultations whenpreparing the Local Plan. School investmentby Fife Council will be determined by a reviewof school assets covering primary and



secondary facilities. The land use implicationsof this are still being identified.

100. The Council’s School Estate Strategy,approved in 2005, provides the strategiccontext for education across Fife. The Strategywill inform a rolling programme for the futuredevelopment of school buildings and lead tothe identification of education prioritiesacross all of Fife. This is a long-termcommitment but, in the interim, where newdevelopment causes pressure on existingschool capacity, a financial contribution willbe required from the developer to alleviatethat pressure. The proposed housingallocations will impact on school capacitiesand further public consultation will beundertaken if the Local Plan is amended.Where 1,000 or more houses are proposed inone location the Local Plan sets outrequirements for a new primary school to beprovided. In the event that this is not neededdue to capacity in other schools, thisrequirement will not be pursued. In caseswhere there is a need for developers toprovide a new school or to make acontribution towards educationinfrastructure, these are identified in theSettlement Plans in the Local Plan. Thisapproach is consistent with the School EstateStrategy.

101. There is also a need to explore the creationof a single school site for Madras College atone of three possible sites, South Street,Kilrymont, or incorporated into the StrategicLand Allocation as part of the new Universitycampus.The location of a new secondaryschool in the Plan area is, therefore, subjectto review and will be subject to furthercommunity consultation as the Local Planprogresses.

102. The Plan’s strategy for leisure and recreationincludes promoting further development ofurban greenspace. The emerging FifeGreenspace Strategy will provide furtherinformation. In Cupar and St Andrewsgreenspace will be promoted through linkingexisting open spaces and seeking to identify

opportunities to create new links through thetowns and to the countryside. The Fife CorePath Plan, the primary policy document foraccess and path proposals, will identifyfurther land use proposals which will requireplanning policy support.

Developing the Transport Network

103. The Local Plan objectives for developing thetransport network are:

Providing for a pattern of land use whichreduces unnecessary travel and supports achoice of more sustainable travel options;Assisting the implementation of Fife’s LocalTransport Strategy;Safeguarding options for future developmentof the transport network;Supporting improvements to regionaltransport connections to East Fife

104. In addition to the Fife Development Plan, FifeCouncil has a Local Transport Strategy. TheFinalised St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan2009 has been prepared alongside the LocalTransport Strategy and its constituent AreaTransport Plan for East Fife. Details oftransportation policies and proposals arecontained within the East Area Transport Plan.The respective strategies of these Planscomplement each other and the AreaTransport Plan will be updated early in thelife of the Local Plan. The East Area TransportPlan translates strategic traffic and transportobjectives into local action. Improved publictransport provision isintegral to thisdocument including development atLeuchars railway station, and improvedintegrated public transport feeder servicesbetween St Andrews and Leuchars railwaystation. A Park and Ride/Choose at the NorthHaugh, with a focus on tourist traffic, will bedeveloped as part of the western expansionof St Andrews. The East Area Transport Planalso includes a commitment to identify, cost,and appraise measures to address Cupar’straffic problems including the creation of arelief road.



105. The predominantly rural nature of East Fifemeans there is a higher than averagedependency on private transport. This is dueto a combination of the dispersed settlementpattern, restricted public transport network,and higher household income levels leadingto 31%(1) of households with more than onecar, compared with 25% for the whole of Fife.Enhancement of public transport andtransport infrastructure will aid in improvingaccessibility to and within the Plan area. Theproposed re-opening of the Levenmouth raillink to passengers would help serve the EastNeuk.

106. The Local Plan strategy involves supportingthe transport network by promotingdevelopment where homes, jobs, and servicesare in close proximity and, where possible,accessible to public transport to minimise theimpact of commuting. In addition,development is located where it can bestunderpin the transport network by means ofdevelopment-led funding or by providing asupporting population to contribute to theviability of new public transport investment.Most development is proposed in areas thatpromote good access and relate to the mainstrategic transport connections in the Planarea: Leuchars; Guardbridge; St Andrews;Cupar; and Tayport, Newport and Wormit.This provides good road and rail links to themain centres of Fife and to Scotland’sprincipal urban centres.

107. The East Coast mainline railway serves theLocal Plan area, and connects it with England,north-east Scotland, and the central belt ofScotland via Edinburgh or Dundee. Proposalsto further develop rail connections in WestFife will bring added benefits to this area byoffering additional connections – for freightin the first instance – to the central Scotlandrail network.New development of the scaleproposed in the Local Plan strategy willrequire improvements to the rail network andso the Local Plan safeguards land for new railhalts at Newburgh and Wormit. Details of

these and any relevant developmentcontributions to them are in the respectiveSettlement Plans. Additionally, Park andChoose sites, which will complementestablished rail facilities, are proposed in thePlan.

108. The Area Transport Plan identifies specificproposals for the Local Plan area. Proposalsrequiring land to be safeguarded and whichare programmed for implementation duringthe Local Plan period are shown in theSettlement Plans and listed in the ActionProgramme. Land required for longer termdevelopment is safeguarded fromdevelopment that would prejudice its use fortransport.

109. East Fife is well served by harbours, many ofwhich are still working facilities. The LocalPlan strategy encourages the developmentof the harbours as operational facilities or forleisure and tourism purposes. Anstruther,where there is scope for more resident berthsand to attract more visitors, should beregarded as the Fife centre for sailing andcruising.

Implementation, Monitoring andReview

110. The St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan will seta development strategy for 2008 - 2018. Itprovides a framework for the Council to guidedevelopment and changes in land-use andseeks to promote development in accordancewith the Plan strategy. Monitoring andreviewing the implementation of the policiesand proposals of the Local Plan is thereforeimportant to ensure that they remainrelevant. Monitoring is also critical to assesshow well the Local Plan performs in achievingits objectives.

111. The Action Programme prepared with thisLocal Plan lists the actions required toimplement the Plan’s proposals. It identifieswhat actions are required; who is responsible

1 Source Scottish Household data 2005/2006



for undertaking those actions; and thetimescales for implementation. The majorityof proposals in the Local Plan will be achievedthrough private sector investment; some willalso require joint working between theCouncil, private sector and relevant agencies.

112. The Action Programme also identifiesproposals involving land in which the Councilhas ownership interests. The ActionProgramme will be reviewed and updated atleast every two years throughout the lifetimeof the Local Plan to monitor progress onimplementing the proposals and to informthe Local Plan review.

113. The Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006, whichreceived Royal Assent in December 2006,introduced a new development plan system.This Local Plan will be subject to review withinfive years and will become part of a new styleLocal Development Plan with the TAYplanStrategic Development Plan as its strategicframework. Further information is set out inFife Council's Development Plan Scheme,which will be updated annually.





Settlement Plans

Introduction

Settlement Plans are prepared for each town andvillage that has proposals within the Local Planarea and that either have a minimum of 25 houses,or will be expected to have a minimum of 25houses when the Local Plan proposals are built.Settlement Plans are an important part of the LocalPlan. They set out the range, type and scale ofdevelopment the Council will support andhighlight the future development potential of asettlement.

What the terms in the Settlement Plans mean

Map ref: gives the location of the land on theProposals Map, for example AUC 01 refers toAuchtermuchty site 01.Location: where the proposal is.Area (ha): the size of the land, in hectares.Class/type: what type of development (Useclass or type) the Council will give its supportto on this land.No. of houses: the estimated number ofhouses that can be built on the land.Lead: the name of the organisation, forexample Fife Council (FC), private sectordeveloper (Private),or Housing Association(HA), responsible for developing the land.Status, additional developmentrequirements and other information:

Status: the current position of a site e.g.is it a Local Plan allocation, does it alsohave planning permission, is it underconstruction?Additional developmentrequirements: any specificcontributions (additional torequirements set by Development Planpolicies), that a developer is required tomake to address the impact of proposals,for example developers must pay fornew roads or roundabouts, or make acontribution to a school (either the costof building a new school or extendingan existing school). Further detail ondevelopment requirements can befound in the Planning Obligations

Financial Framework in the ActionProgramme.Other information: any other factorsthe Council thinks are important forpeople, including developers and localpeople, to know.

Planning permission: this means the Councilhas given its permission for a certain type ofdevelopment to go ahead, for example newhouses or business premises. The planningpermission will set down any conditionswhich must be followed.Outline planning permission: this meansthe Council has given, in principle, permissionfor a certain type of development to goahead. Before a development can be built,full planning permission (above) must beobtained.Strategic Land Allocation: the Fife StructurePlan identifies a number of Strategic LandAllocations throughout East Fife to bedeveloped between 2006 and 2026. Theseareas will include a minimum of 300 housesand may include a mix of land usesdepending on the location. The text for eachStrategic Land Allocation gives details of theacceptable land uses for the site.Local Plan allocation: this site has beenidentified as a proposal in the Local Plan.Development Opportunity: this site has thepotential for development as described.

Definitions for many other terms used in theSettlement Plans can be found in the Glossary.

In addition to the Settlement Plans, an ActionProgramme is published along with the LocalPlan. This identifies all the proposals within theSettlement Plans and gives information on:

who is responsible for implementing them;andtheir anticipated timescales.

The Action Programme will be updated every 2years. It is important to note that the Local Planallocations set out in the Settlement Plans canchange after a public consultation process or aLocal Plan Examination.



Settlement and Landward Plans

Settlements with Proposals

Anstruther & CellardykeAuchtermuchtyBalmerino & Kirkton of BalmerinoBalmulloColinsburghCuparCupar Muir

CrailDairsieDrumoigDunshaltElie & EarlsferryFalklandGauldryGuardbridgeKettlebridge & KingskettleKilconquhar & Barnyards

Kingsbarns

Ladybank

Largoward

LeucharsLundin LinksLower Largo & Upper LargoNewburgh & BurnsideNewport on Tay & WormitPittenweemSpringfieldSt AndrewsSt MonansStrathedenStrathkinnessTayport

Landward Area (Development Proposals outwithSettlement Boundaries)

There are no Local Plan proposals for the townsand villages listed below. Consequently,Settlement Plans have not been prepared for theseareas and there is no requirement to refer to theAction Programme. During the Local Plan period,

infill opportunities may arise within thesesettlements. These are encouraged, subject tocompliance with the policies of the Local Plan.

ArncroachBalmalcolmBlebo CraigsBoarhillsCeresChance InnCollessieCraigrothieFoodieashFreuchieGatesideGrange of LindoresKilmanyKilrennyLethamLuthrieMount MelvilleNew Gilston

Newton of FalklandPeat InnPitlessiePitscottieStrathmiglo

The Source for all population figures is: General RegisterOffice for Scotland (GRO(S)) Small Area PopulationEstimates 2007.

The figures stated in the settlement statements arederived from aggregating GRO(S)’ datazones to best fitthe settlement boundaries as defined in the Local Plan.

Designation Maps

Finally, the Proposals Maps should not be looked atin isolation and must be read in conjunction with theDesignation Maps. These record natural, cultural andbuilt assets protected by policy, safeguarded areas, andhighlight other relevant designations which may havepolicy implications.

The Designation Maps can be found on the CD.

Please Note -Developers should bear in mindthat development in former coalfield areas maybe affected by, or may itself affect, any of a



number of areas of concern arising as a legacyof coal mining. Such areas of concern may berelated to problems of ground stability,minewater contamination or seepage of minegases to the surface. For this reason, drilling ortest boring of old mineworkings requires theprior written approval of the Coal Authority.In addition (and not restricted to coalfield areas)potential development sites may have beensubject to mining operations other than coal,such as ironstones, limestone and oil shales forexample. Development proposals will requireto take account of these facts.



Anstruther and CellardykeSettlement Plan

Population– 3,631

Anstruther and Cellardyke, as part of the East Neukand St Andrews Localities, have Pressured AreaStatus until 2011. This suspends the rights of sometenants to buy their house.

The planning issues to be addressed in this LocalPlan:

Together Anstruther and Cellardyke comprisethe main settlement grouping on the EastNeuk coastline, providing a centre for service,fishing and tourism facilities. As Scotland’sfishing industry has declined and tourism hasdeveloped, there is a need to support the roleof Anstruther and Cellardyke as a local servicecentre for the East Neuk.Contributing to the requirements foraffordable housing.Safeguarding employment land andproviding planning policies to attract newbusinesses.

Promoting and preserving the harbours.Managing new development to retain thedistinctiveness and character of the towns,particularly the conservation areas, andpreserving the separation between thecoastal villages.

Other:

The Murray Library building, Shore Street,held in Trust for community benefit, offersaccommodation or a developmentopportunity, subject to the terms of the Trust.Specified uses are education, recreation andleisure. Proposals will be supported whereconsistent with Local Plan policies.The Anstruther Community RegenerationProject Group is currently examining variousdevelopment options with regard toimprovements in the harbour and towncentre areas. Again, proposals which emergewithin the lifetime of this Local Plan will besupported where they are consistent withLocal Plan policies.

Anstruther and Cellardyke - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

ANS 01

Status, additional developmentrequirements, and otherinformation.

LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site contributes 50 houses tothe East Neuk Settlements StrategicLand Allocation. 200 houses arepart of the existing housing landsupply.

Private250Housing10.8CellardykeCaravan

Park

ANS01

Planning permission04/02179/EOPP was granted on27/02/2007.



ANS 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is part of the existinghousing land supply, and is underconstruction.

Private5Housing<0.1CrichtonStreet

ANS 02

Planning permission04/01724/EFULL was granted on24/06/2004.

ANS 03

Status, additionaldevelopment requirements,and other information.

LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is part of the existinghousing land supply.

Private11Housing0.2BankwellRoad

ANS 03

Planning permission07/01394/EOPP was granted on11/02/2008.

ANS 04


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a developmentopportunity.

FifeCouncil/Private

9Brownfieldsite

0.4Depot,Pittenweem

Road

ANS 04

It has the potential tocontribute 9 houses to thehousing land supply.



ANS 05


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


FifeCouncil/Private

8Brownfieldsite

0.2AnstrutherWesterPrimarySchool

ANS 05

It has the potential tocontribute 8 houses to thehousing land supply.

ANS 06


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.FifeCouncil/Private

Employment3.9StAndrews

Roadextension

ANS06

Vehicle access via B9131.

Classes 4 (business), 5 (generalindustrial) & 6(storage &distribution).

Retain scope to link site to theestablished employment area tothe south.

Safer route to school to besafeguarded (indicated on theproposals map).



ANS 07


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Anstruther CommunityRegeneration Project Groupis currently examiningdevelopment options.

FifeCouncil/

Other

Infrastructurefacilities, boat

servicing,pontoons(phase 2)

21.0Harbour &town centre

improvements

ANS07

Anstruther Easter Harbour iscategory B Listed by HistoricScotland.

Development proposals mayemerge within the lifetime ofthis Local Plan.

ANS 08


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Planallocation.

FifeCouncil/Private

Allotments1.0DreelsideANS 08

Land to be reserved forallotments.

Access from Queens Gardensand Milton track.

See Action Programme for programming and site details and also refer to the Financial Framework.





Auchtermuchty Settlement Plan

Population – 2,068

Auchtermuchty - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

AUC 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.Private20Housing1.0up to2018,

East ofStratheden

Place

AUC01

Total site capacity is 40 houses, ofwhich 20 should be developedbeyond the Local Plan period.

1.0post2018

Views south to the Lomond Hills tobe protected.

Developers will be required toproduce an Indicative DevelopmentFramework for Fife Council approval.

The layout of the developmentshould safeguard a route for a futureroad through the site to CarswellWynd.

AUC 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Employment0.2Adjacentto

cemetery

AUC02

Classes 4 (business), 5 (generalindustrial) & 6 (storage &distribution).

Access from Station Road IndustrialEstate.



AUC 03


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Employment2.0North of OldStation,(Sterling

Warehouse)

AUC03

Classes 4 (business), 5 (generalindustrial) & 6 (storage &distribution).

Site boundaries and details to bedetermined by PlanningApplication.

AUC 04


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.Private50Area ofMixed Use(primarilyhousing).

3.7FormerIronworks

StationRoad

AUC04

It has the potential to contribute 50houses to the housing land supply.

Vehicle access to be taken off A91 andB936.

Open space/community woodland (onflood-risk area).

Minimum area of 0.5ha servicedemployment land providing class 4business use to be provided beforehousing.




Balmerino and Kirkton ofBalmerino Settlement Plan

Population – 123

Balmerino and Kirkton of Balmerino - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

BAL 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site forms part of the existinghousing land supply.Planning permission09/00408/EFULL for 5 houses wasgranted subject to a S75agreement on 25/05/2009.Tourist car park for visitors toabbey/village.Environmental improvements –including landscaping and viewprotection.Larger gardens in rural settingadjacent to the Conservation Area.

Private8Housing, andtransport and

environmentalimprovements

0.6OppositeBalmerino

Abbey/MemorialCottages

BAL01




Balmullo Settlement Plan


Balmullo, as part of the East Neuk and St AndrewsLocalities, has Pressured Area Status until 2011.This suspends the rights of some tenants to buytheir house.

Development close to RAF Leuchars is likely to beaffected by operational noise. Additional noisemitigation measures will be required for alldevelopments within areas affected. The RAFproduced A Report on an Environmental NoiseSurvey of Aircraft Activity at RAF Leuchars inAugust 2008. The noise contour map is abackground paper to this Plan (available on CDand at www.fifedirect.org.uk).

Balmullo - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

BLO 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


Private20Housing0.9BalmulloFarm

BLO 01

This site includes a category BListed Building.


Colinsburgh Settlement Plan

Population – 376

Colinsburgh, as part of the East Neuk and StAndrews Localities has Pressured Area Status until2011. This suspends the rights of some tenants tobuy their house.

Colinsburgh - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea (ha)LocationMapref

This site contributes to the EastNeuk Settlements Strategic LandAllocation.

Private35Housing2.4(includingpost 2018)

South Eastof Village

COB01





LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref

This site presents a developmentopportunity.

Private5BrownfieldSite

0.3South WyndDepot

COB 02

It has the potential to contribute 5houses to the housing land supply.


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Before work begins on the schoolexpansion, agreement should bereached on the relocation of theexisting smiddy to an alternativeacceptable location within the village.

FifeCouncil

SchoolExpansion

<0.1MainStreet

COB 03




Crail Settlement Plan


Crail as part of the East Neuk and St AndrewsLocalities has Pressured Area Status until 2011.This suspends the rights of some tenants to buytheir house.

The main Planning issue to be addressed in thisLocal Plan is:

The heritage value of Crail Airfield constrainsre-use and re-development. The Local Planseeks to reconcile this by identifying

sympathetic development opportunitieswhich retain the site’s unique historiccharacter.

Post 2018:

A longer-term development site is identifiedto the north of the village.Guidance on the development of this site willbe included within a single IndicativeDevelopment Framework (to be prepared byFife Council) covering sites CRA02, CRA03,CRA04 (and the adjacent longer-termdevelopment area).

Crail - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

CRA 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site has planning permissionfor 78 houses and is underconstruction. The remaining 73houses are part of the existinghousing land supply.

Private73Housing5.7PinkertonFarm Phase

2

CRA 01

CRA 02


LeadNo. ofhouses



Private25Housing4.6(includingpost 2018)

PinkertonFarm

Phase 3

CRA02

Total site capacity is 100 units, ofwhich 75 should be developedbeyond the Local Plan period.

Land to be safeguarded for linkto St Andrews Road.




LeadNo. ofhouses


Access from Balcomie Road - viaBalcomie Links Caravan Parkaccess and through PinkertonFarm Phase 2, and via future linkto St Andrews Road.

Sites CRA02, CRA03, CRA04 andthe adjacent longer-termdevelopment area are to becovered by a single IndicativeDevelopment Frameworkprepared by Fife Council incollaboration with landowners.

CRA 03


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Cemetery site to be prepared for FifeCouncil approval.

FifeCouncil

Cemeteryextension

0.5CemeteryCRA03

Sites CRA02, CRA03, CRA04 and theadjacent longer-term developmentarea are to be covered by a singleIndicative Development Frameworkprepared by Fife Council incollaboration with landowners.



CRA 04

Status, additionaldevelopmentrequirements, and otherinformation.

LeadNo. ofhouses


This site contributes to theEast Neuk SettlementsStrategic Land Allocation.

Private20Housing2.5

(includingpost 2018)

St AndrewsRoad

(Housing)

CRA04

Total site capacity is 40units, of which 20 shouldbe developed beyond theLocal Plan period.

Private/Fife

Council

Employment1.0St AndrewsRoad

(Employment)

Low density due to floodrisk and safeguarding landfor link road.

Serviced employmentland for Classes 4(business), 5 (generalindustrial), 6 (storage &distribution) to be anintegral part ofdevelopment. Housingdevelopers will berequired to provide aminimum of one hectare(net developable) offully-serviced land foremployment use, to betransferred at nil cost toFife Council. This couldinclude:

Class 4 businesscentre-typefloorspace - (625square metres aftercompletion of firstthird of total housingnumbers, 625 squaremetres aftercompletion oftwo-thirds ofhousing); or




LeadNo. ofhouses


Two 0.25hafully-serviced plotssuitable for Class 4business use to betransferred to FifeCouncil (or othernot-for-profit agency)to ensure retention inemployment use inperpetuity; ora proportionatecommuted sum.

Part of this site is prone toflooding – engineeringsolution required.

Link road between StAndrews Road, Pinkerton,and Balcomie Road.

Sites CRA02, CRA03,CRA04 and the adjacentlonger-term developmentarea are to be covered bya single IndicativeDevelopment Frameworkprepared by Fife Councilin collaboration withlandowners.

CRA 05


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


HousingAssociation

8Housing0.3FormerTennisCourts

CRA 05




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Flatted development maybe appropriate.

LW4 16


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.PrivateTo beconfirmed

Touristrelated

residential

145.0CrailAirfield

LW416

Part of this site is a ScheduledAncient Monument. It is also Listedby Historic Scotland.

use,outdoorevents

Developers to prepare adevelopment brief and undertakecommunity consultation for FifeCouncil approval.

Development:

must relate sympathetically tothe character of the site;may include the continuationof some outdoor events;existing and new employmentuses; multi use commercial orleisure development andholiday accommodation;may include limited housingdevelopment;must have regard to theamount, layout and type ofbuilt development which islikely to be acceptable;conservation or repair workshould be carried out usingappropriate materials to




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

maintain building character;andshould resolve site accessissues from Crail to the airfieldand Crail golf courses - analternative route will berequired.




Cupar Settlement Plan


The Planning issues to be addressed in this LocalPlan:

Enhancing Cupar’s role as the commercialand service centre for rural East Fife byencouraging further retail development inthe town centre and attracting commercialinvestment. This includes protecting andenhancing the role of the town centre whilstproviding land for a bulky goods retail park.Providing for mixed-tenure housingdevelopment, including affordable housingto meet local needs.Ensuring development makes an effectivecontribution to infrastructure provision,including development of the strategictransport network. This includes providingbetter links from the railway station andsurrounding area to the town centre andpromoting the provision of a northern reliefroad for the town.Any house building on other sites withinCupar but outwith Cupar North will berequired to make financial contributions tothe revitalisation of the town centre, localinfrastructure and amenities.Providing additional employment land byallocating land for a business park andgeneral industrial use.Encouraging Class 4 business opportunitieswithin and on the edge of the town centre.Promoting the redevelopment of redundantproperty and land, particularly in the towncentre where proposals to revitalise thecentre through additional retail provision willbe supported where these comply withDevelopment Plan policies.Support the Town Centre ImprovementFramework including improved access toalternative transport modes and streetscapeenhancement.Assessing and addressing the impact ofadditional development on town centretraffic congestion.

Cupar was a traditional market town nowfunctioning as the main service, employment andpublic transport centre for a large surroundingrural hinterland.

An important aspect of developing an extensionto the town is the mechanism through which theland uses are implemented. Development in Cuparshall be phased over the 20 year period envisagedin the Fife Structure Plan and will be shapedinitially by a Strategic Development Framework,and thereafter a fully inclusive masterplan process.This will ensure that all necessary services,infrastructure, employment land, commercialdevelopment, and community infrastructure suchas educational facilities and open space, isdeveloped alongside the proposed housing.

The preparation of a masterplan shaped by activecommunity engagement will ensure that a singlesuburban expansion is avoided and that smallneighbourhoods with distinct urban design andrecognisable character are delivered tocomplement Cupar’s architectural heritage. Themasterplan will ensure that all elements of thedevelopment relate well to each other and will bethe means through which the planned extensionto the town is created to a high standard.

In tandem with the revitalisation of the towncentre through environmental or streetscapeimprovements guided by a Town CentreImprovement Framework, the Cupar Northdevelopment will help to attract commercialinvestment whilst supporting improvements toservices, employment, infrastructure and publictransport.

Traffic management in Cupar was identified as acontinuing issue for the community during thepreparation of the Local Plan. Although, in theshort term, further development will add pressureto the road system in the town centre, in themedium term the relief road will more than offsetthis growth in traffic. A management board hasbeen established to administer the Air QualityAction Planning process for Bonnygate, which willlead to an Air Quality Action Plan for the area.



A Draft Conservation Area Appraisal has beenprepared for Cupar. It will be published forconsultation on www.fifedirect.org.uk during thelifetime of the Local Plan.

CUP 01 – Cupar North Strategic Land Allocation

A masterplan for a northern extension to Cuparwill be prepared. The masterplan will require theapproval of Fife Council in its role as planningauthority. Community involvement in itspreparation will be essential. The primary objectiveof the masterplan will be to avoid suburban sprawland to create a townscape of which existing andfuture residents of Cupar can be proud. Theproposed development will deliver a fully-fundedrelief road, a new primary school, a contributionto secondary education, affordable housing, retail,employment and community facilities. This LocalPlan anticipates that there will remain a highdemand for housing in Cupar and that the town’spopulation will continue to grow. Historically, thisdemand has not been met. Consequently, it isproposed to increase opportunities for newhousing through the phased allocation of landboth during and beyond the Local Plan period.This includes bringing forward land for mixedhousing and employment development atGilliesfaulds West as part of the Cupar NorthStrategic Land Allocation.

Building on consultant studies and initialinvestigation work, we envisage a mixed-tenurehousing development set in a well-designed streetlayout incorporating generous open space, pathsand habitat corridors. Advance planting of treebelts and structural landscaping will ensure that

the environmental setting of the town is protectedand that new housing is sited within mature andestablished surroundings. Commercial andbusiness development is also anticipated alongwith a hotel and restaurant within the StrategicLand Allocation.

The masterplan will set the route of the proposedrelief road and will detail developer contributions,ensuring commitments to new or upgraded waterand drainage networks (including SustainableDrainage Systems – SUDS) where required.Community infrastructure, including educationand healthcare, will be required and will beplanned for in partnership with the respectiveagencies. Through the masterplan process, we willensure that the local community and their electedrepresentatives will have ample opportunity toinfluence the size and type of new communityfacilities that are required. The masterplan willindicate development phasing, design, land usesand layout, in addition to establishingresponsibilities relating to implementation andfunding. All of this should ensure the provision ofhigh quality new development of areas with arecognisably local character.

Ultimately the proposed development shall servethe town and wider locale connecting Cupar andits rural hinterland with an improved and thrivingservice centre. To protect retail provision in thetown centre in the short term, retail provisionassociated with the northern relief road will onlyproceed once the relief road is constructed. Smallneighbourhood retail facilities will be encouraged,however, in order to serve local needs and reduceunnecessary travel for everyday items.



Cupar North Development Framework

The Cupar North Development Frameworkdiagram above illustrates suggested land uses andan indicative boundary that satisfies Fife StructurePlan requirements. Whilst it is informed bylandscape and transportation analysis, the detailsof the proposed development are subject toreview and validation through a process ofmasterplanning. This masterplan process willinvolve community engagement on all aspects ofthe proposals, and will ultimately form part of aplanning application.

Development Framework Principles

Produce a well designed and integrated northerndevelopment area to include:

Design and Density:

Range of housing densities from high (45dwellings per hectare) to low (25 dwellingsper hectare).Mixed house type, tenure and densityincluding affordable and self build provision.

In line with the Fife Council affordable housingpolicy, a minimum of 20% of housing will be a mixof social rented and other low cost housing forsale such as shared equity. Locally distinctivedesign, using materials and building orientationsympathetic to the existing town, is encouraged.Consideration should be given to reducingdevelopment density on more visible hill slopes.



Transport, Infrastructure and Circulation

·Strategic transport network improvements.

·Public transport facilities including improvedaccess and links to Cupar railway station.

Advance construction of an A class singlecarriageway relief road and associatedinfrastructure including landscaping.On site provision of drainage and renewableenergy networks or technologies. Thisincludes sustainable urban drainage andcombined heat and power or similar.

Direct and frequent access to public transport,including routes for walking and cycling into Cupartown centre, is required. Circulation should includea safe and convenient path network linking mainaccess points, facilities, development sites,transport points, car parks and greenspace.

Landscape and Greenspace Management

Landscaping.Greenspace.Provision of networks of greenspace,allotments and sports pitches.

Development should include networks ofgreenspace and habitat areas that strengthen linksto the wider area. Areas of potential greenspaceor planting are identified on the frameworkdiagram and Proposals Map. Continuous densewoodland planting at either side of the relief roadwill be avoided by applying a planting andtopography strategy that complements existingwoodland and field patterns.

Employment, Business, Retail and Commercial landuses

Class 4 business park.Class 1 retail park (bulky goods only – max6,500 sq m).Leisure including safeguarded land for hotelprovision.

Community Provision

Sport and recreation.

Community and social infrastructure.Provision for a recycling centre.On site provision of a primary school.Financial contribution towards secondaryschool improvements.Safeguarding land for a primary healthcareand/or community facility.

Local provision of equipped play areas, andinterlinked areas of greenspace will beencouraged. Existing facilities should besupplemented including potential co-location ofdevelopment areas around existing uses orfacilities such as Elmwood College, Duffus Parkand Haugh Park.

Elmwood College

Elmwood College is an important communityplanning partner with a significantland-holding within the Cupar North StrategicLand Allocation area. Elmwood is currentlyconsidering a range of options for itseducation provision within Cupar anddevelopment proposals may emerge fromthe College within the lifetime of this LocalPlan. If there is a decision to redevelop, thereis scope for the grounds of the College to beconsidered as part of an Area of Mixed Usewithin the Cupar North Strategic LandAllocation area. The grounds of the Collegecontain mature woodland which could alsousefully be subject to a woodlandmanagement plan.

Post 2018:

The development of Cupar’s northernexpansion will continue, complemented byongoing improvements to road and transportnetworks.Further revitalisation of the town centre withcontinued commercial investment alongsideadditional streetscape improvements andtown centre health checks.Safeguarding of a possible route for asouth-western transport corridor.



Cupar - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

CUP 01


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site represents the CuparNorth Strategic LandAllocation.

Private468Classes 1(specialising inbulky goods), 4

110.0Cupar NorthStrategic

LandAllocation

CUP01

Total site capacity is 1,400houses, of which 752 shouldbe developed beyond the

(business), 5(general

industrial),housing,

Local Plan period, creating ahigh quality western gatewayto town.

leisure/hotelfacility, care

home,community

facilities. See the Cupar NorthDevelopment Frameworkdiagram and text (above) fordetails of proposed land uses.

180Housing6.0Cupar North(Gilliesfaulds

West) Employment3.0Masterplanning (to includephasing) and consultationarrangements to be approvedby Fife Council.

StrategicLand

Allocation

All housing and commercialdevelopment within theStrategic Land Allocation arearequires to contribute on anequitable basis to the essentialcommunity infrastructure,including transportation andemployment land.

Fund and construct relief roadwithin early phases ofhouse-building, includingjunctions at A91.

Safeguarding land asgreenspace for futureinfrastructure including futureroad corridor at GilliesfauldsWest.




LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Implement advance plantingand landscaping.

Design statement to beproduced for eachneighbourhood andsubmitted to Fife Council forapproval.

Retail park to be restricted tobulky goods (max 6,500 sq m).Includes leisure andcommercial (hotel)development.

Provision of employment land(class 4).

New primary school.

Contribution to secondaryeducation.

Care home(s).

Possible location ofcommunity recycling centre.

CUP 02


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site has planning permissionfor 31 houses of which 15 remainedto be completed when the 2008Housing Land Audit was produced.

Private15Housing3.4FerrymuirFarm

CUP02

It is part of the existing housingland supply.



CUP 03


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.Private15Housing0.4StColumba’s

CUP03

Development Brief produced;approved by North East Fife AreaCommittee (12th November 2008).

Contribution to the revitalisation ofthe town centre, local infrastructureand amenities.

CUP 04


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Private Employment5.8 up to2018, 2.4

post2018

PrestonhallEast

CUP04

Classes 5 (general industrial), 6(storage and distribution).

Contribution to therevitalisation of the towncentre, local infrastructure andamenities.

Landscaping to screen thedevelopment from allapproaches.



CUP 05


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Private Brownfieldsite

0.8Ceres RdCUP 05

Contribution to the revitalisationof the town centre, localinfrastructure and amenities.

CUP 06


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Private10Brownfieldsite

0.2FormerSnooker

Hall, NorthBurnside

CUP06

Preferred use is housing.

It has the potential to contributeto the housing land supply.


CUP 07


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref



0.1KirkWynd

CUP07

It has the potential to contribute tothe housing land supply.




LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


CUP 08


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref



0.2ProvostWynd,Former

LeucharsRemovals

CUP08

It has the potential to contributeto the housing land supply.

Preferred use is residential(high-density, flatteddevelopment).


CUP 09


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.Private20Area ofMixed Use

0.7BellBaxter

West Port

CUP09

It includes a category C(s) ListedBuilding.

Development Brief produced;approved by North East Fife AreaCommittee (12 November 2008) forup to 20 flats.




LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref



CUP 10


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.Private20Area ofMixed Use

0.4GranarySite, (Watts)Coal Road

CUP10

It has the potential to contribute20 houses to the housing landsupply.


CUP 11


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref

This site has planning permission04/04296/EFULL granted on28/05/2007

Private Area ofMixed Use

1.5SouthRoad

CUP 11

It is a Local Plan allocation.



CUP 12


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This proposal is subject of aSection 75 Agreementattached to planningpermission reference08/01079/EFULL.

Private Pedestrian/CycleBridge over River

Eden

StationRoad

CUP 12

CUP 13


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Crossgate-St CatherineStreet-East Bridge corridorimprovements to improvetraffic flow and create a betterquality public space.

FifeCouncil/Private

Trafficmanagement

Town centretraffic

management,environmentalimprovements

CUP13

Supplement, amend orreplace existing measures inconjunction with the TownCentre ImprovementFramework, includingimproved access to publictransport and streetscapeenhancement.

CUP 14


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


FifeCouncil

Cemeteryextension

0.7CemeteryCUP 14






Cupar Muir Population – 202

Cupar Muir - Local Plan Proposal and Development Requirements

CPM 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site gained planningpermission 07/01297/EARM on25/10/07 for 37 houses

Private37Housing1.9SawmillCPM 01



Dairsie Settlement Plan

Population – 382

Dairsie - Local Plan Proposal and Development Requirements

DAI 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.Private30Housing1.4 upto 2018,0.4 post

2018

South ofOsnaburgh

Court

DAI01


Design and layout to protectviews from Osnaburgh Court.

Vehicle access from OsnaburghCourt and onto Station Road.

Pedestrian links onto StationRoad.




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Low density reflects rural setting,protecting views and opportunityfor larger gardens or allotments.


Drumoig Settlement Plan

Population – 234

The planning issues to be addressed in this LocalPlan are:

The need to identify sites for up to 630 newhouses in the Tayport/Newport/Wormit area(in the period to 2026) as identified in theStructure Plan.Drumoig has developed rapidly in recentyears but with no local or community facilitiesto serve the population. It is not currentlyregarded as a sustainable location for furtherresidential development. Rather, it should beallowed to mature in its rural location.For the future, a modest increase in housingnumbers could begin to encourage theintroduction of the community services andfacilities that Drumoig currently lacks.

This being the case, a longer-term proposalfor 30 new houses (targeting developmentin the ten year period beyond 2018) isidentified. This should be the subject of anIndicative Development Framework showinghow the improvement of Drumoig as asettlement will be achieved.The introduction of commercial leisureproposals at Drumoig to serve the wider ruraleconomy, building on the business/golfdevelopment already on site, should beconsidered as part of the IndicativeDevelopment Framework.Further housing development alone atDrumoig, without consideration of the issuesidentified above, will not be consideredfavourably.Regard should be had to the principles ofplace-making as identified in the FifeMasterplans Handbook.

Drumoig - Local Plan Proposal and Development Requirements



DRG 01


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site contributes 30 houses to theTayport/Newport/Wormit StrategicLand Allocation, beyond the LocalPlan period of 2008-18.

PrivateNone inLocalPlan

period.30 post

2018

Housing/Commercial

Leisure/Community

Facilities

<2.0DrumoigDRG01

Indicative Development Frameworkto be prepared by the developer forFife Council approval. High qualityurban design, through the IndicativeDevelopment Framework is requiredfor this prominent location.

Development ancillary to the golf clubwould be acceptable in principle.

Housing development alone will notbe considered favourably.

Local shop needed (could haveresidential accommodation above).

Area to include well-integratedgreenspace.

Site boundaries to be identified forFife Council approval.

Details to be determined by PlanningApplication.


Dunshalt Settlement Plan

Population – 325

Dunshalt – Local Plan Proposal and Development Requirements



DSH 01

Status, additionaldevelopmentrequirements, andother information.

LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is adevelopmentopportunity.

FifeCouncil/Private

BrownfieldSite

<0.1FormerDunshaltPrimarySchool

DSH 01




Elie and Earlsferry Settlement Plan

Population – 947

Elie and Earlsferry , as part of the East Neuk and StAndrews Localities, have Pressured Area Statusuntil 2011. This suspends the rights of sometenants to buy their house.

The Planning issues to be addressed in this LocalPlan are:

Encourage development that will assist indiversifying the rural economy, includingsupport for traditional industries such asagriculture.Provide for mixed tenure residentialdevelopment, including affordable housingto meet local needs.Preserve separation between coastal villages.

Elie and Earlsferry - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

EAE 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site contributes to theEast Neuk SettlementsStrategic Land Allocation.

Private20Housing0.8South ofHealthCentre

EAE 01


Falkland Settlement Plan

Population – 1187


Smith Anderson’s modern paper packagingoperation is being constrained by its currentlong-established, but outdated, facility at Well

Brae.In the event that the company wishes torelocate to more modern premises elsewhere inFife, a mixed employment and housingdevelopment on the St John’s Works may beconsidered where this accords with DevelopmentPlan policies and Fife Council is convinced thatsuch development is vital to the company’srelocation within Fife.

A Draft Conservation Area Appraisal has beenprepared for Falkland. It will be published forconsultation on www.fifedirect.org.uk during thelifetime of the Local Plan.

Falkland - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements



FAL 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is identified as a Local Planallocation for employment uses.

Private Employment2.2St John’sWorks

FAL01

In the event that the company wishesto relocate to more modern premiseselsewhere in Fife, a mixedemployment and housingdevelopment on the St John’s Worksmay be considered where this accordswith Development Plan policies andFife Council is convinced that suchdevelopment is vital to the company’srelocation within Fife.


Gauldry Settlement Plan

Population – 674

Gauldry - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

GAU 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.Private20Housing1.0PrioryRoadNorth

GAU01

Development should not break theskyline when viewed from thesouth or north.




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Low density to reflect rural settingand landscaping.

GAU 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.Private10Housing0.5PrioryFarm

Steading

GAU02

Priory Farm Steading is a categoryC(s) Listed Building.

Development should not break theskyline when viewed from thesouth or north.




Guardbridge Settlement Plan

Population – 706


Guardbridge , as part of the East Neuk and StAndrews Localities, has Pressured Area Status until2011. This suspends the rights of some tenants tobuy their house.

The loss of a principal source of local employment,in the shape of Curtis Fine Papers, has been a majorblow in economic terms, both to the formeremployees of the paper mill and to the wider area.The closure of the mill also means that there is alarge brownfield site at the heart of Guardbridgein need of redevelopment. Whilst mindful of thenegative economic impact experienced, the LocalPlan views the redevelopment of the paper millsite as an opportunity to:

allocate land to begin to provide replacementjobs for those lost through the closure of themill;establish a new centre for Guardbridge,incorporating small-scale convenienceshopping, hotel use and other leisure/tourismuses;plan for an element of new housing on thesite, in order to begin to re-build and enhancethe urban fabric of Guardbridge; andenhance existing visitor facilities, includingthe Eden Centre, and establish a Fife Rangerbase.

Some initial public consultation on the possibleredevelopment of the Curtis Fine Papers site wascarried out in November and December of 2008,on behalf of the Administrators dealing with theclosure of the business. This led to the productionof an indicative development framework for thesite, which forms a background document to thisLocal Plan (available on CD and atwww.fifedirect.org.uk). In general terms, there wassupport in the community for a mixed-useredevelopment of the paper mill site so long asthese uses integrate well with the existing village.The consensus view was that any new uses on siteshould also lead to employment, economic, social

and community benefits for Guardbridge. It isexpected that a mix of uses, includingemployment, a new village centre and housingwill be developed, with the full detail of theproposals being set out in a masterplan andultimately subject to a planning application. Newdevelopment here will allow the urban fabric ofGuardbridge to be rebuilt in a manner whichshould benefit the village’s future.

Elsewhere in Guardbridge, other opportunities areidentified in order to take advantage of thevillage’s location, within easy access to St Andrewsand enjoying ready access to Leuchars Rail Stationand strategic road links via the A919 towardsDundee. The Local Plan identifies land formixed-use development, phased over the Planperiod and beyond. Taken together, this packageof new sites should:

help to relieve St Andrews of some of thehousing-led development pressure andbroaden development opportunities inGuardbridge to include employment andcommunity needs;provide a good range of new housing,including affordable housing to meet localneeds;ensure that new development makes aneffective contribution to infrastructure costs;andencourage more people to take advantageof the public transport connections viaLeuchars rail station.

Other:

Development close to RAF Leuchars is likelyto be affected by operational noise. The RAFproduced A Report on an EnvironmentalNoise Survey of Aircraft Activity at RAFLeuchars in August 2008. The noise contourmap is a background paper to this Plan(available on CD and atwww.fifedirect.org.uk).Additional noisemitigation measures will be required for alldevelopments within areas affected by theairbase. No new residential developmentshould take place in Zone D other than toimplement current planning permissions.



Post 2018:

Development of Seggie Farm will continuebeyond the Local Plan period. Given theimportance of the redevelopment of theCurtis Fine Papers site (in terms of its crucialrole in rebuilding the urban fabric of

Guardbridge), and the fact that it is abrownfield site, the longer-term developmentoptions (i.e. beyond the Local Plan period)identified for Seggie Farm (and atHenderson’s Meadow/Doocot Field inLeuchars) should not proceed until the papermill site has been substantially redeveloped.

Guardbridge - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

GUA 01


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site was granted planningpermission 04/04413/EFULL on23/05/2006.

Private12Housing0.2MainStreetSouth

GUA 01


GUA02


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site was granted planningpermission 08/00313/EFULL on27/06/2008 subject to a S75agreement.

Private69Housing1.9MotrayPark

GUA02

This site is a Local Plan allocation.

Local transport improvements tojunction with A919.

Contribution to primary educationprovision.



GUA 03


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


Private6Housing<0.1North ofAshgrove

GUA 03

GUA 04


LeadNo ofhouses


This site is a Local Plan allocation.Private75Housing3.1 up to2018, 11.2post-2018

SeggieFarm

GUA04

Sites GUA 04 and GUA 06(including long-termdevelopment area) are to becovered by a single masterplan,to be subject to Fife Councilapproval.

Integration with the village andLeuchars rail station.

Identify suitable locations forproposed open space, communitywoodland (GUA 06) andemployment land.

Contribution to primaryeducation provision.

There is potential for a hotel to bedeveloped on this site.

Development beyond the LocalPlan period to take placefollowing substantialredevelopment of the formerCurtis Fine Papers brownfield site.



GUA 05


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation. Ithas the potential to contribute tothe housing land supply.

PrivateTo beconfirmed

Area ofMixed Use

9.6Site ofFormerCurtisFine

Papers

GUA05

Masterplan required, building onthe April 2009 Initial PlanningFramework prepared on behalf ofthe Administrators for Curtis FinePapers (available on CD and atwww.fifedirect.org.uk).

Provision of employment landand/or buildings.

The developer shall provide aminimum of one hectare (netdevelopable area) of fully-servicedland for employment use, to betransferred at nil cost to Fife Council.

Creation of village centre includingsmall-scale retail (between 500 sqmetres and 1,000 sq metres grossfloor area), hotel use, and otherleisure/tourism uses.

Enhance existing visitor facilities,including the Eden Centre, andestablish a Fife Ranger base.

Housing development (numbers tobe confirmed).

Contribution to primary educationprovision.



GUA 06


LeadNo ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Sites GUA04 and GUA06 (includinglong-term development area) areto be covered by a singlemasterplan prepared by thedeveloper for Fife Council approval.

Private CommunityWoodland/Open Space

5.9SeggieFarm

GUA06

Public access to the area must beassured.




Kettlebridge and KingskettleSettlement Plan


Kettlebridge and Kingskettle - Local Plan Proposal and Development Requirements

KKL 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Part of this site has PlanningPermission 05/02057/EFULL granted27/10/2006 for 20 houses, of which 2

Private24Housing0.8LowFarm

KKL01

had been completed at the time the2008 Housing Land Audit wasproduced.

The remainder of the site is a LocalPlan allocation

The Horsemill is a category C(s) ListedBuilding.


Kilconquhar and BarnyardsSettlement Plan

Population – 193

Kilconquhar and Barnyards, as part of the EastNeuk and St Andrews Localities, have PressuredArea Status until 2011. This suspends the rights ofsome tenants to buy their house.

Kilconquhar and Barnyards - Local Plan Proposal and Development Requirements

KIC 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref

Upgrading of car park.FifeCouncil

Transportation<0.1Car ParkKIC 01






Kingsbarns Settlement Plan

Population – 359

Kingsbarns, as part of the East Neuk and StAndrews Localities, has Pressured Area Status until2011. This suspends the rights of some tenants tobuy their house.

Kingsbarns - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

KIN 01

Status, additionaldevelopmentrequirements,and otherinformation.

LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref

This sitecontributes to theEast Neuk

Private40Housing2.6West of theSquare

KIN 01

SettlementsStrategic LandAllocation.

Engagement withcommunity toproduce adevelopment brieffor the plannedexpansion of thevillage.

Brief subject to FifeCouncil approval.

Formal open space(e.g. village green).

Low densityreflectsgreenspace, ruralsetting, and thepossibility of largergardens orallotments.



KIN 02

Status, additionaldevelopmentrequirements,and otherinformation.

LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref

This site is a LocalPlan allocation.

FifeCouncil

Cemetery2.0South west ofthe Village

KIN 02

Site to bedetermined duringlifetime of LocalPlan inconsultation withthe localcommunity.

NB: No mapannotation.




Ladybank Settlement Plan Population – 1,570

Ladybank - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

LAD 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


Private35Housing1.1CommercialCrescent

LAD 01

LAD 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site has planning permissions05/02569/EFULL granted on28/03/2007.

Private57Housing2.3CuparRoad

LAD 02


LAD 03


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site received planningpermission 04/01863/EARM on06/02/2006.

Private60Housing4.4MonksmossLAD 03




LAD 04


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.Private25Housing0.9MonksmossNorth

LAD04

Local transport improvementsmay be required to meettransportation guidelines.

Site remediation required.

Vehicle access from Beech Grove(north) and Monksmoss (south).

LAD 05


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Private Employment2.8TheBeeches

LAD 05

Classes 4 (business),5 (generalindustrial), 6 (storage &distribution).

LAD 06


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref



1.6FormerRailway

Goods Yard

LAD 06

Minimum 0.5ha servicedemployment land.



LAD 07


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


NetworkRail

ImprovedCar Parking

0.4East ofLadybank

Rail Station

LAD 07

Ladybank Station East Block iscategory B Listed by HistoricScotland.


Largoward Settlement Plan

Population – 274

Largoward, as part of the East Neuk and StAndrews Localities, has Pressured Area Status until2011. This suspends the rights of some tenants tobuy their house.

Largoward - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

LAR 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Private10Housing0.4Hall ParkWest

LAR 01

Upgrading of drainage/sewerageinfrastructure may be required. Tobe provided by developer in liaisonwith Scottish Water.



LAR 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref



0.2OppositeStaghead

Hoteladjacent to

A915

LAR02

Upgrading ofdrainage/sewerageinfrastructure may be required.To be provided by developer inliaison with Scottish Water.




Leuchars Settlement Plan


Leuchars, as part of the East Neuk and St AndrewsLocalities, has Pressured Area Status until 2011.This suspends the rights of some tenants to buytheir house.


The village relies largely on RAF Leuchars tosupport the local economy. There is scope tobroaden job opportunities by providing land fornew investment in the local economy. RAFLeuchars provides a very limited commercial airfacility to privately owned aircraft. However, thereare no current or future plans to develop thiscommercial air facility further. Fife Council would,in principle, look positively on commercialisationshould this situation change and will work inpartnership with the RAF to review anyopportunities to facilitate economic developmentat Leuchars.

The Local Plan identifies land for mixed-usedevelopment, phased over the Plan period andbeyond, which should:

help to relieve St Andrews of some of thehousing-led development pressure andbroaden development opportunities toinclude employment and community needs;

provide a good range of new housing,including affordable housing to meet localneeds;ensure that new development makes aneffective contribution to infrastructure costs;andencourage more people to take advantageof the public transport connections viaLeuchars rail station.

Other:

Development close to RAF Leuchars is likelyto be affected by operational noise. The RAFproduced A Report on an EnvironmentalNoise Survey of Aircraft Activity at RAFLeuchars in August 2008. The noise contourmap is a background paper to this Plan(available on CD and atwww.fifedirect.org.uk). Additional noisemitigation measures will be required for alldevelopments within areas affected by theairbase. No new residential developmentshould take place in Zone D other than toimplement current planning permissions.

Post 2018:

The continuing development at Henderson’sMeadow/Doocot Field. However, given theproximity of the former Curtis Fine Papers sitein Guardbridge, a large brownfield site,development of the area outwith the LocalPlan period should not commence until theGuardbridge site is substantially complete.

Leuchars - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements



LEU 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site gained planningpermission 07/00073/EOPP on04/02/2008 subject to a S75Agreement.

Private125Housing7.8up to2018,11.6post2018

Henderson’sMeadow /

Doocot Field

LEU01

It is a Local Plan housing allocation.

It includes Leuchars Castle Doocot,which is a category A ListedBuilding, and Leuchars Castle,motte and associated remains,which is a Scheduled AncientMonument.

Development beyond the LocalPlan period to take place followingsubstantial redevelopment of theformer Curtis Fine Papersbrownfield site.

Masterplan and consultationarrangements for sites LEU01 andLEU02 to be subject to Fife Councilapproval.

Integration with the neighbouringdevelopment.

Open space provision.

New road link taking access fromthe A919 via a new roundaboutserving both the housing andemployment land areas.

Structural landscaping.



LEU 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site gained planning permission07/00073/EOPP on 04/02/2008subject to a S75 Agreement.

Private Employment1.5MainStreet

LEU02

Masterplan and consultationarrangements for sites LEU01 andLEU02 to be subject to Fife Councilapproval.

Integration with the neighbouringdevelopment.

New road link taking access from theA919 via a new roundabout servingboth the housing and employmentland areas.

Structural landscaping.

Employment land forClass 4(business), 5 (general industrial) & 6(storage & distribution).

Housing developers will be requiredto provide;

a minimum of 1.5 hectare (netdevelopable) of fully-servicedland for employment use, to betransferred at nil cost to FifeCouncil, ora proportionate commuted sum.

Improved access to employment siteLEU02 to provide for class 4 businessuse.



LEU 03


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


FifeCouncil

Car parkextension

0.6RailwayStation

LEU 03




Lundin Links, Lower Largo & UpperLargo Settlement Plan

Population – 2475

Lundin Links, Lower Largo & Upper Largo, aspart of the East Neuk and St Andrews Localities,have Pressured Area Status until 2011. Thissuspends the rights of some tenants to buy theirhouse.


Largo House is a category ‘B’ Listed building datingfrom c.1750, located in an attractive landscapesetting west of Upper Largo and with Largo Lawas a backdrop. Whilst the building is now in aruinous state, its policies contain a category ‘C’Listed walled garden and the remains of a formalgarden. There are a number of other ListedBuildings within the vicinity of Largo House andthe overall contribution to the landscape isimportant. This Local Plan seeks to protect LargoHouse and its immediate environs againstinappropriate development.



Lundin Links, Lower Largo & Upper Largo - Local Plan Proposal and Development Requirements

LLA 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site contributes to the East NeukSettlements Strategic LandAllocation.

Private50Housing2.3 upto

2018,

East ofDurhamWynd,LowerLargo

LLA01

Total site capacity is 70 houses, ofwhich 20 houses should bedeveloped beyond the Local Planperiod.

0.9post2018

An Indicative DevelopmentFramework for this site has beenprepared by Fife Council (see above).This includes a ‘no development’zone to protect important views intoand out of the site, including viewsacross the site from Largo House inorder to protect the setting of LargoHouse, a category B Listed Building.




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Vehicle access to be taken fromDurham Wynd and Selkirk Park.




Newburgh and Burnside SettlementPlan



The relatively recent development at Newburghwaterfront on the site of the former linoleumfactory has demonstrated the potential of thishistoric town. It is well located to have a strongfunctional role, both within Fife and lookingoutwards to Perthshire. This Local Plan proposesa significant housing allocation for the town, tobe the subject of a masterplan, which will supportthe development of a new rail halt to help realisethe town's potential as a gateway to Fife.

There is local demand and support for newhousing in the town and this is addressedover the life of the Fife Structure Plan.The first phases of development are identifiedthrough the Local Plan.

A masterplan should be prepared to cover allphases of development, including the landidentified for development beyond the LocalPlan period.Newburgh is identified through the AreaTransport Plan as having potential for a newrail halt.Identification of land for school expansion ashousing development proceeds.The need to provide opportunities for localjobs by providing employment land in thetown.Land needs to be reserved for a cemeteryextension.In the longer-term, adequate separation mustbe maintained between housing at theeastern edge of Newburgh and the housesin Burnside.

Post 2018:

Longer term development opportunities areidentified to the east of the town, to be guided bya masterplan.

Newburgh and Burnside - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

NEB 01


LeadNo. ofhouses



Private150Housing5.3 up to2018, 2.9post 2018

South ofCuparRoad

NEB01

Total site capacity is 225houses, of which 75 housesshould be developedbeyond the Local Planperiod.

FifeCouncil/Private

Employment1.5

FifeCouncil

PrimarySchool

Expansion

0.6

An Indicative DevelopmentFramework for the wholeNEB01 site should beprepared by the developerfor Fife Council approval.

FifeCouncil

CemeteryExpansion

1.2




LeadNo. ofhouses


Key elements of theIndicative DevelopmentFramework should includeemployment land forClasses 4 (business), 5(general industrial) & 6(storage & distribution),andcommunity facilities in theshape of land for theexpansion of the localprimary school and land foran extension to thecemetery.

The developer shall providea minimum of 1.5 hectare(net developable) offully-serviced land foremployment use, to betransferred at nil cost to FifeCouncil if not on landalready owned by FifeCouncil.

NEB 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref



0.3MugdrumEast

NEB 02

It has the potential to contribute10 houses to the housing landsupply.



NEB 03


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Private/Fife

Council

New rail haltwith park &

ride andemployment

1.0NewburghRail Halt

NEB03

Strategic transport networkimprovements.

Junction and car parkingimprovement.

Serviced employment land.

NEB 04


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


FifeCouncil

Transportation CuparRoad

NEB 04

Environmental improvements& traffic management.




Newport on Tay and WormitSettlement Plan



The need to identify sites for up to 630 newhouses in the Tayport/Newport/Wormit area(in the period to 2026) as identified in theStructure Plan.Steep slopes and the A92 constraindevelopment opportunities in large parts ofNewport on Tay and Wormit.Safeguarding of land for a new rail halt inWormit.Provision of a wide range of new housing,including affordable housing to meet localneeds.The need to ensure that development makesan effective contribution to infrastructurecosts.

Provision of new employment land toencourage investment and growth in localjobs.The need for a community recycling facility.

Forgan:

The area to the south west of the Forganroundabout is being examined to assess itssuitability for a community recycling facilityand as a possible location for a Park andChoose facility.

Post 2018:

We have identified a housing site at landsouth of Wormit Farm to be developedbeyond the Local Plan period. It is requiredto meet the Structure Plan housing landrequirement to 2026 and should be guidedby a masterplan.Housing development will continue beyondthe Local Plan period at sites NEW02 andNEW03 (see table, below).

Newport on Tay and Wormit - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

NEW 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site has planning permission05/04111/EFULL granted on22/09/2006.

Private9Housing0.1Boat Road,Newport

NEW 01

It forms part of the existinghousing land supply.



NEW 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site contributes to theTayport/Newport/Wormit StrategicLand Allocation.

Private50Housing2.7 upto 2018,2.8 post

2018

ErichtRoad,

Newport

NEW02


Development should not break theskyline when viewed from Dundee’swaterfront.

Vehicle access to be taken fromEricht Road and Flass Road.

The layout of the developmentshould safeguard a route for afuture road through the site to theeast.

NEW 03


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Part of this site is a Local Planallocation.

Private90Area ofMixed Use

5.0South ofVictoria

Park,Newport

NEW03

It is a mixed use site of housing andemployment.

The housing element contributes tothe Tayport/Newport/Wormit StrategicLand Allocation.




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

1.5 ha employment land to includeserviced employment land as anintegral part of mixed usedevelopment. Housing developers willbe required to provide:

Class 4 business centre-typefloorspace - (625 square metresafter completion of first third oftotal housing numbers, 625square metres after completion oftwo-thirds of housing); orTwo 0.25ha fully-serviced plotssuitable for Class 4 business useto be transferred to Fife Council(or other not-for-profit agency) toensure retention in employmentuse in perpetuity; ora proportionate commuted sum.

NEW 04


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.Private Area ofMixed Use

2.8North Westof Forgan

Roundabout

NEW04

Minimum requirement for 50%serviced employment land withthe remainder of the site tocomprise some or all of thefollowing uses:

Roadside family/businesshotel or similar;50 place Nursery;300 sq.metre shop.



NEW 05


LeadNo. ofhouses



SESTRAN/Fife

Council

Transportation/ Community

Facility

To beconfirmed

South Westof Forgan

Roundabout

NEW05

Land to be safeguardedfor possible provisionof Park and Choosefacility.

Provision of aCommunity RecyclingCentre.

Site boundaries areindicative.

Vehicle access to betaken from Cupar Road.

Only low level (singlestory) buildingsancillary to the car parkand recycling centreuses will be permitted.

Development will beset back from the mainroad and landscapescreening will berequired to maintainthe quality of thisapproach to and fromthe Tay Road Bridge.

Details, includinglandscaping, to bedetermined byPlanning Application.



WOR 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site contributes to theTayport/Newport/Wormit StrategicLand Allocation.

Private30Housing1.0WormitFarm

(Housing)

WOR01

Wormit Farmhouse, steading andboundary walls are category C(s)Listed by Historic Scotland.

Land identified as part of site WOR04to be transferred to Fife Councilownership for safeguarding as a railhalt.

WOR 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site contributes to theTayport/Newport/WormitStrategic Land Allocation.

Private45Housing1.8WormitSandpit

WOR02

Environmental improvements toinclude site remediation.

WOR 03


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


PrivateNone inLocal Plan

period

Housing5.4South ofWormit

Farm

WOR03




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

To be developed beyond theLocal Plan period.

Site capacity 135 houses.

WOR 04


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Private/Fife

Council

Transportation1.9WormitFarm (Rail

Halt)

WOR04

Land safeguarding for RailHalt






Pittenweem Settlement Plan


Pittenweem, as part of the East Neuk and StAndrews Localities, has Pressured Area Status until2011. This suspends the rights of some tenants tobuy their house.


To encourage development that will assist indiversifying the rural economy, including

support for traditional industries such asfishing and agriculture;To provide a wide range of new housing,including affordable housing to meet localneeds; andTo identify development of an appropriatescale and design to retain the distinctivenessand character of the East Neuk villages.

Other:

The Local Plan safeguards the Harbour Officesand Fish market for employment uses inrecognition of Pittenweem’s role as the centreof the local fishing industry.

Pittenweem - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

PIT 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Part of this site (40) contributes tothe East Neuk Settlements StrategicLand Allocation and part (30) formspart of the housing land supply.

Private70Housing2.8StMargaret’s

Farm

PIT01

Layout of site and internal roadsmust allow for future developmentto the north.

St Margaret's Farm buildings arecategory C(s) Listed by HistoricScotland.

PIT 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


FifeCouncil

Cemeteryextension

0.3CemeteryPIT 02






Springfield Settlement Plan Population – 1,125

Springfield - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

SPF 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Private5Housing0.4Land East ofPennyacre

Court

SPF 01

Development to be in line withfindings of planning appealP/PPA/250/732.

SPF 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


Private50Housing1.8East ofCrawford

Park

SPF 02

SPF 03


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site received planningpermission 06/01604/EOPP on05/09/2007 subject to a S75agreement.

Private8Housing0.5Derelict DairyFarm behindMain Street

SPF 03




SPF 04


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Private Transportation/ Employment

0.4SpringfieldRail Station

SPF 04

Station improvements andemployment land.

LW4 11


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site gained planningpermission 04/04028/EFULL on06/02/2006 and is underconstruction.

Private6Housing0.7RussellMains

LW4 11





St Andrews Settlement Plan


St Andrews is the largest town in East Fife. The FifeStructure Plan identifies it as one of Fife’s threekey towns, and it is recognised nationally andinternationally as a cultural, leisure and visitordestination; and as a centre of academic excellenceand the developing knowledge-based economy.

St Andrews, as part of the East Neuk and StAndrews Localities, has Pressured Area Status until2011. This suspends the rights of some tenants tobuy their house and reflects the demand forhousing in the town.

The Local Plan vision for the town centre is tocreate a quality built environment and conditionsto support a vibrant business community in StAndrews which can satisfy the needs of residentsand the range of visitors from around the worldwhilst respecting the heritage of the town. Indoing so, deficiencies in the physical environmentcan be addressed and those who live and work inthe town will benefit from the resultingimprovements. In this connection, Fife Council hasproduced St Andrews Design Guidelines forbuildings, streets and shopfronts in St AndrewsConservation Area and on the main approachesto the town.

Community consultation identified the absenceof local employment opportunities as a concern.Sites suited to business development are in limitedsupply and established small sites in residentialareas have been lost to redevelopment forhousing. The Local Plan therefore identifies landfor the development of a science park within anew University campus area, and business andemployment land in St Andrews West and LargoRoad.

There is a need to explore the possible creation ofa single school site for Madras College Thelocations currently being considered are, SouthStreet, Kilrymont, and Langlands (as part of thenew University Campus). Further publicconsultation will be undertaken as the selectionprocess continues. In cases where there is a needfor developers to provide a new school or to make

a contribution towards education infrastructure,these are identified in the DevelopmentRequirements. This approach is consistent withthe School Estate Strategy.

Beyond the 20 year Structure Plan period,development pressures will be directed away fromSt Andrews. A Green Belt has been defined whichwill manage long term planned growth. It willprotect and enhance the character, landscapesetting and identity of St Andrews, and criticalviews to and from the historic core. It will alsoprovide opportunities for access to open spaceand the countryside.

It is proposed to extend the St AndrewsConservation Area to include the area of FlemingPlace and Park Street. This extension, indicated onthe proposals map, has been recommended byHistoric Scotland and in the Draft St AndrewsConservation Area Appraisal and ManagementPlan, which will be published onwww.fifedirect.org.uk .


High demand for new housing.House prices.Town expansion options and economicpotential for Fife.Academic and business-related Universityexpansion.Protection and enhancement of the town’slandscape setting.Protection and improvements to the historiccore and seafronts.Development of the tourism and golffacilities.Improving transport links to the national roadand rail networks.Review of school provision.Limited availability of business oremployment land.The impact of houses in multiple occupationon the character of the town centre.



Allocation of land for hotel development insupport of the tourist economy.Identification of land (4ha) for new cemeteryand green burial site, to be identified withinthe lifetime of this Local Plan.

STA01 – St Andrews West Strategic Land Allocation

A masterplan for a western extension to StAndrews will be prepared. The masterplan willrequire the approval of Fife Council as planningauthority. The local community will be involvedin its preparation. The primary objective of themasterplan will be to create neighbourhoods thatcomplement, preserve and enhance the town’shistoric core. The development proposed willdeliver, via neighbourhoods or ‘hubs’, a sciencepark, University and community facilities, sites fora new primary school and a new secondary school(if this is the chosen location), retail andemployment land, affordable and mainstreamhousing, a care home, a hotel, a park and ride orchoose site, and a road linking the A91 andCraigtoun Road.

Building on consultant studies and the St AndrewsWest Development Framework, we envisage linkedmixed-tenure housing neighbourhoods set in awell-designed street layout incorporating mixeduses including retail and employment, generousopen space, paths and habitat corridors. Advanceplanting of tree belts and structural landscapingwill ensure that the environmental setting of thetown is protected and that new housing is sitedwithin mature and established surroundings.

The masterplan will set the route of the proposedroad link. It will detail developer contributions,ensuring commitments to climate change and lowcarbon technology (such as Combined Heat andPower), new or upgraded water and drainagenetworks (including Sustainable Drainage Systems– SUDS) where required. Communityinfrastructure, including shops, education,community facilities, and healthcare, will berequired and will be planned for in partnershipwith the respective agencies. Through themasterplan process, the local community and theirelected representatives will have ampleopportunity to influence the size and type of newcommunity facilities that are required. Themasterplan will indicate development phasing,design, land uses and layout, in addition toestablishing responsibilities relating toimplementation and funding. All of this will ensurethe provision of areas of high quality newdevelopment with a recognisably local character.



St Andrews West Development Framework

The St Andrews West Development Frameworkdiagram above illustrates suggested land uses andan indicative boundary that satisfies Fife StructurePlan requirements. The details of the proposeddevelopment are subject to review and validationthrough a process of masterplanning. Thismasterplan process will involve communityengagement on all aspects of the proposals, andwill ultimately form part of a planning application.

Development Framework Principles

Produce a well designed and integrateddevelopment to include:

Design and Density:

Mixed house types, tenures and densities.Locally distinctive design, sympathetic to theexisting town.

Range of housing densities from high (45dwellings per hectare) to low (25 dwellingsper hectare).Main housing requirement 2, 3 and 4bedroom general needs, at least 100 barrierfree, 20 wheelchair, and 150 no stairs.

In line with the Fife Council affordable housingpolicy, 30% of housing will be a mix of socialrented and low cost housing for sale such asshared equity or self build plots. Studentaccommodation and University staff housing willalso be provided. Co-housing may be considered.

Transport, Infrastructure and Circulation

Strategic road infrastructure.Public transport facilities.On site provision of drainage and renewableenergy networks or technologies. Thisincludes sustainable drainage and combinedheat and power or similar.



A single carriageway road and associatedinfrastructure including landscaping will link theA91 to Craigtoun Road. A Park and Ride car parkoff the A91 will serve the town and facilities in thedevelopment. Direct and frequent access to publictransport, and routes for walking and cycling intoSt Andrews Town Centre, are expected. Circulationroutes should include safe and convenient pathslinking main access points, facilities, transportpoints, car parks and greenspace.

Landscape and Greenspace Management

Landscaping.Greenspace.

Landscaping will provide a link to the Green Beltand help protect views to and from the town.Greenspace includes structural landscaping, andallotments.

Networks of greenspace should include recreationand amenity areas, and areas of habitat value topromote biodiversity, and link to the wider area.Larger areas of potential greenspace or plantingare identified on the framework diagram andproposals map. Views to the town will beprotected and enhanced as part of the detaileddevelopment layout.

Employment, Business, Retail and Commercial landuses

Some activities will be in areas of mixed use,integrated with housing

10 ha Science Park associated with theUniversity5ha business park5ha employment land integrated withdevelopmentLand for a hotelLocal retail and local business provision:

University – 400 sq m.Strathkinness High Road – 200 sq m.Craigtoun Road – 2,000 sq m.

Community Provision

Community and social infrastructureincluding shops and community facilities.,

Site safeguarding of 1.5 ha for a primaryschool.Potential provision of 10.0 ha for a secondaryschool.

Development will grow from hubs that providecommunity facilities such as healthcare, library,place of worship, hall or centre, care home, pub.Housing will include equipped play areas and beinterlinked by areas of greenspace and public openspace. Public Art will be incorporated intodevelopment.

East Sands and Harbour:

A masterplan approach will be taken forredevelopment and improvement of the EastSands and Harbour area.

Post 2018:

Continued development of the St AndrewsWest Strategic Land Allocation.Continued business and academicdevelopment of the University of St Andrews.



St Andrews - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

STA 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site represents the StAndrews West Strategic LandAllocation.

Universityof St

Andrews/

582Housing,University

accommodation,

108.7StAndrews

West

STA01

Private/Fife

Council

communityfacilities, retail,

hotel, 10haTotal site capacity is 1,090houses, of which 508 shouldbe developed beyond thescience park, 5haLocal Plan period, to bebusiness and 5hadeveloped on a phased basisin distinct neighbourhoods or“hubs”.

employmentland (Classes 4, 5

and 6), carehome, Park &

Master planning andconsultation arrangements tobe prepared by developers for

Ride/Choose.Link road from

A91 to CraigtounFife Council approval toRoad, greenspacefollow-on from theincludingDevelopment Framework,allotments,

networks andlandscaping

and define the limits andphasing of development. Seethe St Andrews WestDevelopment Frameworkdiagram and text (above) fordetails of proposed land uses.

All housing and commercialdevelopment within theStrategic Land Allocation arearequires to contribute on anequitable basis to theessential communityinfrastructure, includingtransportation andemployment land.

Advance planting of tree beltsand structural landscaping toscreen development areasand ensure visual integration,and protection of the




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

environmental setting of thetown amidst mature andestablished surroundings.

Potential for combined heatand power plant.

Employment land may beintegrated with other uses,including housing, hotelaccommodation, Care Home.

Community facilitiesincluding place(s) of worship.

Funding contribution toeducation, which may includeup to 10ha for a new singlecampus secondary schoolwithin the masterplan area(Education Services areinvestigating options).

Funding contribution toeducation also to include sitesafeguarding of 1.5ha for aprimary school and potentialprovision of a single streamprimary school.

5 ha business park (Class 4).

A road will link the A91 toCraigtoun Road to assist inminimising the impact ofdevelopment to the west ofSt Andrews on the towncentre and improve travelaround the town. This willcomplement a proposed Parkand Ride facility off the A91.

The unfinished road linkbetween Craigtoun Road andStrathkinness Low Road mustbe completed before




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Craigtoun Road commercialdevelopment becomesoperational.

10 ha research anddevelopment or Science Parkrelated enterprise.

Housing north ofStrathkinness Low Road willsupport the plannedexpansion of the Universityover the next 20 years.University use and 6.3ha inother ownerships.

5ha employment park –Classes 4 (business), 5(general industrial) & 6(storage & distribution).

STA 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site has planning permissionand is under construction.

Private8Housing0.1169-173SouthStreet

STA 02

It includes a category C(s) Listedbuilding.




STA 03


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.Private50Housing2.2GrangeRoad

STA 03

The layout of the developmentshould safeguard routes throughto Kilrymont Crescent and to thewest of the site.

STA 04


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


FifeCouncil

Employment0.3BassaguardSTA 04

Class 4.(Business)

STA 05


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Employment2.7PipelandsSTA05

Classes 4 (business), 5 (generalindustrial) & 6(storage &distribution).

Access to be taken throughHospital site.

Landscape screening to north.



STA 06


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is identified as adevelopment opportunity.


0.2LargoRoad

STA 06

Preferred uses housing andemployment, or employment.


STA 07


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is identified as a developmentopportunity.


1.5New ParkSchool

STA07

Preferred uses housing andemployment.

It has the potential to contribute to thehousing land supply.

Business (class 4 office) or lightindustrial uses including research anddevelopment.

Improve access and on site car parking.

Respect the surrounding conservationarea.

Relate sympathetically to existing TreePreservation Orders.

Development to be in line with findingsof planning appeal P/PPA/250/750.



STA 08


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is identified as a developmentopportunity.

NHSFife/

Private

120Area ofMixed Use

6.9StLeonard’s

and

STA08

The site includes St Nicholas Houseand Abbey Park House which arecategory B Listed by Historic Scotland.

MemorialHospital

site

Developer to prepare a developmentbrief and design statement for FifeCouncil approval.

It has the potential to contribute to thehousing land supply.

Class 4 office development of 1,000square metres.

Hotel.

Principal vehicular access to be takenfrom western end of Abbey Walk.

Public access between Hospital andSchool.

Retain and enhance open space andcreate open space linkages to thewider area to help retain historic andnatural quality.

Multi-use paths and communityfacilities to further ensure access andlocal provision.

Public art, building design andorientation to announce key areas orfrontages.

Funding contributions towardsinfrastructure, transport improvementsand education.



STA09


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


FifeCouncil/

University

To beconfirmed

Mixed usedevelopment

including

13.0East Sands /Harbour

ImprovementArea

STA09

It has the potential tocontribute to thehousing land supply.

of StAndrews/

The

academic andresearch related

universityCrownexpansion;

St Andrews Harbour iscategory A Listed byHistoric Scotland. Thearea includes someother Listed Buildings.

Estate/ StAndrewsHarbour

Trust/Private .

tourism, leisureand supportingancillary uses;

residential,including studentaccommodation;

and, harbourimprovements.

IndicativeDevelopmentFramework to beprepared by FifeCouncil to address thefuture pattern ofbuildings, movement,and spaces.

Land use andbuildings to providefor a mix of public andprivate uses, including:potential visitordestinations;improvements to andsafeguarding ofharbour facilities;tourists, leisure andancillary retail;residential (includingstudentaccommodation); andeducation andresearch facilities.

Opportunities toenhance movementshould focus on:




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

relieving existingpatterns ofvehicularcongestion;maintaining acore coastal pathroute, with neweast-westconnections;improvingpedestrianintegration withthe beach front;andresolving theprovision ofpublic/private carparking, inresponse to highdemand duringpeak periods.

Existing public spacesand habitats (namelythe beach, The Bentsand coastal paths) tobe protected, withaccessibility to beproperly integratedinto any futuredevelopmentproposals.

Opportunity toenhance the openspace surrounding theleisure centre, as areasof recreation andleisure value.

Enhance local viewsinto and across the siteand contributepositively to the




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

historic skyline frommore distant views;and

Provide an appropriatesetting for ListedBuildings and enhancethe built/naturalheritage assets.

Proposal area includesredundant gasometersite at Balfour Place.

STA 10


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Fife Council/St AndrewsLinks Trust

Environmentalimprovement &enhancement of

facilities.

37.1WestSands

STA 10

STA 11


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


FifeCouncil

Pedestrianisation& streetscape

improvements

MarketStreet &

surroundingarea

STA11




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

The area is within theConservation Area andincludes a number of ListedBuildings.

STA 12


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.FifeCouncil

Extension ofConservation

Area

FlemingPlace,

Kinnesburnand Park

Street

STA12

Fife Council will seek to extendthe St Andrews Conservation Areato include the area of FlemingPlace and Park Street. Thisextension has beenrecommended by HistoricScotland and in the St AndrewsConservation Area Appraisal andManagement Plan.

LW4 15


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Tourism &Commercial

Development

16.3CraigtounCountry

Park

LW415

Craigtoun Park is a DesignedLandscape and contains a numberof structures listed by HistoricScotland.




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Examine options for the long termsustainable management andmaintenance of Craigtoun CountryPark through complementarytourism linked to the upgradingof the park (including sensitive,small scale, commercial leisure orhotel development).

LW4 20


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

To include Green Burial area.FifeCouncil

CemeteryExtension

4.0StAndrews

LW4 20

Site to be identified throughmaster planning process.

NB: No map annotation.

LW4 24


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref

Refer to Policy E17.FifeCouncil

Green Belt2887StAndrews

LW4 24






St Monans Settlement Plan


St Monans, as part of the East Neuk and St AndrewsLocalities, has Pressured Area Status until 2011.This suspends the rights of some tenants to buytheir house.


To encourage development that will assist indiversifying the rural economy, including

support for traditional industries such asfishing and agriculture.To provide a good range of new housing,including affordable housing to meet localneeds.To identify development of an appropriatescale and design to retain the distinctivenessand character of East Neuk villages.To preserve separation between coastalvillages.To respect archaeological and historicremains that may be uncovered duringdevelopment.

St Monans – Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

STM 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Private50Housing1.7 up to2018, 2.6

post2018

West ofManse

(Housing)

STM01

Total site capacity is 100 houses,50 of which should be developedbeyond the Local Plan period.

Sites STM01 and STM03 (and theadjacent longer-termdevelopment area) are to becovered by a single IndicativeDevelopment Frameworkprepared by Fife Council.



STM 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


FifeCouncil/Private

Employment0.8NethertonIndustrial

Estate

STM02

Classes 4 (business), 5(general industrial) & 6(storage & distribution).

STM 03


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.FifeCouncil

Allotments0.9West ofManse

(Allotments)

STM03

Sites STM01 and STM03 (and theadjacent longer-term developmentarea) are to be covered by a singleIndicative DevelopmentFramework prepared by FifeCouncil.

This site is provisional. If anacceptable alternative location isidentified by the community, theLocal Plan will be alteredaccordingly.



STM 04


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


FifeCouncil

Cemeteryextension

0.4CemeterySTM 04

Archaeological investigation ofhistoric remains and mitigationif necessary.

STM 05


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


FifeCouncil

Car ParkImprovements

0.6TheCommon

STM 05






Stratheden Settlement Plan Population – 138

Stratheden - Local Plan Proposal and Development Requirements

SED 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Rationalisation and redevelopment.NHSFife

Health28.7StrathedenHospital

SED01

Development vision and designstatement to be prepared bydevelopers for Fife Council approvaland subject to public consultation.

Redevelopment should provide for:

Design;Layout and massingrequirements;Integration of new development:;A suitable location for open spaceand any other appropriatecommunity facilities; andHospital facilities.


Strathkinness Settlement Plan

Population – 961

Strathkinness, as part of the East Neuk and StAndrews Localities, has Pressured Area Status until2011. This suspends the rights of some tenants tobuy their house.

Strathkinness - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements



STK 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.It includes 8 affordable houses thatare part of the existing housingland supply.

Private30Housing1.9MainStreet/

Sunnyside

STK 01

Planning permission07/03876/EFULL, was granted on02/06/2008,

Under construction.

STK 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


FifeCouncil/Private

12Housing0.5South ofRecreation

Ground

STK 02






Tayport Settlement Plan



The need to identify sites for up to 630 newhouses in the Tayport/Newport/Wormit area(in the period to 2026) as identified in theStructure Plan.

High demand for new housing and itsaffordability.Preservation and promotion of the Harbouras a commercial leisure facility.Re-development of brownfield sites.

Other:

Proposals for hotel development, whichaccord with other Local Plan policies, will beencouraged during the Plan period.

Tayport - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

TAY 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


Private6Housing0.1LinksRoad 2

TAY 01

TAY 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


Private5Housing0.1NelsonStreet

TAY 02

TAY 03


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Private10Housing0.2Net DryingGreen

TAY 03




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Opportunity for a flatteddevelopment.

TAY 04


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site was granted planningpermission 07/01812/EFULL onAppeal.

HousingAssociation

56Housing1.2NewportRoad

TAY04

It contributes to theTayport/Newport/WormitStrategic Land Allocation.

TAY 05


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site contributes to theTayport/Newport/WormitStrategic Land Allocation

Private12Housing0.5North ofSpears Hill

Road

TAY 05



TAY 06


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

The housing element of this sitecontributes to theTayport/Newport/WormitStrategic Land Allocation. Otheruses are Local Plan allocations.

FifeCouncil/Tayport

Community& Sports

15Area ofMixed Use

1.2AbertayWorks

TAY06

CentreActionGroup

It has the potential to contributeat least 15 houses to the housingland supply and a minimum of500 sq metres class 4 businesscentre or 0.3 ha employment land.

Local community group is activein promoting a mixeddevelopment (such as acommunity facility/ employment/housing).

Fife Council will re-allocate thesite for employment andresidential uses if the communitygroup are unable to secureplanning permission and fundingbefore the end of 2012.

TAY 07


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Fife Council/Church ofScotland

Allotments<1.3GlebeSouth

TAY 07

Site boundaries areindicative.



TAY 08


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


FifeCouncil

CemeteryExtension

0.8CemeteryTAY 08

TAY 09


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


FifeCouncil

Car Park0.2Links RoadTAY 09

TAY 10


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site is a Local Plan allocation.FifeCouncil/TayportHarbourGroup

EnvironmentalImprovements

3.7HarbourTAY10

Fife Council will work withTayport Harbour Group to:

preserve the category B Listedstructure;

carry out environmentalimprovements to the harbourarea;

promote recreational use; and

provide employment and otherancillary uses of the harbour.






Landward Area – DevelopmentProposals outwith SettlementBoundaries



Managing housing development in thecountryside, balancing the high demand forhousing with the need to promotesustainability.Protection and enhancement of thelandscape whilst supporting, in principle,small-scale development where it complieswith Development Plan policies.Rural regeneration including support inprinciple for development that requires acountryside location, particularly where localemployment opportunities can be created.Ensuring development makes an effectivecontribution to infrastructure costs, including

development of the strategic transportnetwork.Helping to address the need for better publictransport links through careful siting anddesign of new development.

Other:

The East Neuk and St Andrews Localities havePressured Area Status until 2011. Thissuspends the rights of some tenants to buytheir house.Development close to RAF Leuchars is likelyto be affected by operational noise. The RAFproduced A Report on an EnvironmentalNoise Survey of Aircraft Activity at RAFLeuchars in August 2008. The noise contourmap is a background paper to this Plan(available on CD and atwww.fifedirect.org.uk). Additional noisemitigation measures will be required for mostdevelopments within areas affected by theairbase. No residential development shouldtake place in Zone D.

Landward Area - Local Plan Proposals and Development Requirements

LW4 01


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site gained planningpermission 05/01775/EFULL on06/02/2006.

Private5Housing0.5BankheadFarm, Peat

Inn

LW4 01


NB no map annotation.



LW4 02


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site gained planningpermission 04/01672/EARM on14/12/2004 and is underconstruction.

Private5Housing0.4DenmylneSteading,

Den ofLindores

LW402



LW403


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site gained planningpermission 05/0134/EFULL on26/04/2007.

Private5Housing0.6EastPitcorthie,

Crail

LW4 03



LW4 04


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site has planning permissions07/01983/EFULL, granted on06/03/2008, and 02/03637/EFULL,granted on 04/04/2003.

Private7Housing7.0Elie HouseGrounds,

Elie

LW404




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

It forms part of the existing housingland supply.

Elie House is a category A ListedBuilding.


LW4 05


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site has planning permission04/04/2003, granted on04/03/2008.

Private12Housing0.7GlenduckieFarm,

Lindores

LW4 05



LW4 06


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site has planningpermission and is underconstruction.

Private5Housing0.7Newton ofNydie,

Strathkinness

LW406





LW4 07


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site gained planningpermission 06/02854/EOPP on05/02/2008, subject to a S75agreement.


7.8NorthbankFarm,

Cameron

LW407

This site is a Local Plan allocation.


LW4 08


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site was granted planningpermission 05/02125/EFULL on25/01/2006.

Private15Housing1.2ParkhillFarm,

Newburgh

LW408


Parkhill Farm is a category C(s)Listed Building.


LW4 09


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site has planning permissionfor 17 houses of which 4 remainto be completed.

Private4Housing0.3Pitlair 2,Bow of

Fife

LW4 09




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref



LW4 10


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site has planningpermission and is underconstruction.

Private11Housing0.5PitlethieSteading,Leuchars

LW4 10



LW4 11


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site gained planningpermission 04/04028/EFULL on06/02/2006 and is underconstruction.

Private6Housing0.7RussellMains,

Springfield

LW4 11




LW4 12


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This site has planning permission(02/03606/EARM 12/02/2003) for7 houses, of which 2 remain to becompleted.

Private2Housing0.7StruthersBarns Farm,Craigrothie

LW412



LW4 13


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref

This site was granted planningpermission 06/04136/EOPP onAppeal.

Private12Housing0.5Sypsies,Crail

LW4 13


LW4 14


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Area ofMixed Use

3.4CameronLW414

Small scale housing associatedwith Classes 4 (business), 5(general industrial), 6 (storage &distribution) on serviced sites.

Employmentand housing

Address amenity issue.




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Vehicular access to be taken fromexisting access after upgrading.

No alternative access or exit pointsto the site are envisaged.

LW4 15


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Tourism &Commercial

Development

16.3CraigtounCountry

Park

LW415

Craigtoun Park is a DesignedLandscape and contains a numberof structures Listed by HistoricScotland.

Examine options for the long termsustainable management andmaintenance of Craigtoun CountryPark through complementarytourismlinked to the upgrading ofthe park (includingsensitive, smallscale commercial leisure or hoteldevelopment).

LW4 16


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


Touristrelated

residential

145.0CrailAirfield

LW416

Part of this site is a ScheduledAncient Monument. It is also Listedby Historic Scotland.




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Developers to prepare adevelopment brief and undertakecommunity consultation for FifeCouncil approval.

use,outdoorevents

Development:

must relate sympathetically to thecharacter of the site;

may include the continuation ofsome outdoor events; existing andnew employment uses; multi usecommercial or leisure developmentand holiday accommodation;

may include limited housingdevelopment;

must have regard to the amount,layout and type of builtdevelopment which is likely to beacceptable;

conservation or repair work shouldbe carried out using appropriatematerials to maintain buildingcharacter; and

should resolve site access issuesfrom Crail to the airfield and Crailgolf courses - an alternative routewill be required.

LW4 17


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

This is identified as a Local Planallocation.

FifeCouncil

CemeteryExtension

2.0BoarhillsCemetery

LW417




LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Site to be determined duringlifetime of Local Plan inconsultation with the localcommunity.


LW4 18


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


FifeCouncil

CemeteryExtension

2.0CarnbeeCemetery

LW4 18

LW4 19


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref


FifeCouncil

CemeteryExtension

2.0KembackCemetery

LW4 19

LW4 20


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref

To include Green Burial area.FifeCouncil

CemeteryExtension

4.0StAndrews

LW4 20




LW4 21


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref


FifeCouncil

Extension ofLandfill and

RecyclingCentre

66.7LowerMelvilleWoods,

Ladybank

LW421

Development of wastetreatment options such ascomposting and anaerobicdigestion.

LW4 22


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Route to be identified viaFife Council Core PathPlan.

Fife Coast &Countryside

Trust

Pilgrim WayLong

DistanceFootpath

St Andrewsto

Dunfermline

LW422

NB: no map annotation.

LW4 23


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMapref

Route to be identified viaFife Council Core PathPlan.

Fife Coast &Countryside

Trust

Extension ofFife Coastal

Footpath

Tayport toNewburgh

(option for linkto Perth)

LW423

NB: no map annotation.



LW4 24


LeadNo. ofhouses

Class/TypeArea(ha)

LocationMap ref

Refer to Policy E17.FifeCouncil

Green Belt2887StAndrews

LW4 24






Local Plan Policies

The policies contained in this Local Plan form anintegral part of the Fife Development Plan. Theirpurpose is to provide a consistent frameworkacross Fife for the Council in making decisions onplanning applications and to inform business whenmaking investment decisions. The policiescomplement and expand upon current nationalScottish Planning Policy (SPP) guidance andstrategic policies of the Fife Structure Plan andshould be considered alongside these and thepolicies of the Fife Minerals Subject Local Plan. Thepolicies will also be reviewed and updated infuture versions of the Local Plan to reflect theconsolidated Scottish Planning Policy.

The policies should be read in conjunction withthe whole Local Plan which comprises the PlanStatement, Settlement Plans, Proposals Map,Action Programme and electronic DesignationMaps (on the CD).

It is important that all of the policies andDesignation Maps are considered at an early stagein the planning process to ensure that relevantissues are taken into account.

The policies have been assessed, and will continueto be assessed, as part of the StrategicEnvironmental Appraisal (SEA) of the Local Plan.As a consequence, they may be subject to changeas the Local Plan progresses towards adoption.

POLICY INDEX

D1 Developer Contributions

D2 Local Employment Agreements

R1 Retail Centres

R2 Convenience Retail Outwith Town or LocalCentres

R3 Comparison Retail Outwith Town or LocalCentres

R4 Factory Shops

B1 Established Employment Areas - Safeguarding

B2 Protecting Existing Employment/Tourism/LocalCommunity Facilities

B3 Working From Home

B4 Areas of Mixed Use

B5 Tourism and Hotel Developments

B6 Commercial Leisure Development

H1 Development Plan Departures – Housing Sites

H2 Affordable and Special Needs Housing

H3 Houses in Multiple Occupation

H4 Gypsy Travellers and Travelling Show People

E1 Development Outwith Town and VillageEnvelopes

E2 Development Within Town and VillageEnvelopes

E3 Development Quality – Environmental Impact

E4 Development Quality – Design

E5 Housing Development and Open Space

E6 Contaminated Land

E7 Conservation Areas

E8 Listed Buildings

E9 Demolition of Listed Buildings

E10 Protection of Orchards and Riggs

E11 Historic Gardens and Designed Landscapes

E12 Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites

E13 Street Furniture

E14 Public Art

E15 Development in the Countryside



E16 Housing Development in the Countryside

E17 Green Belt

E18 Protection of Agricultural Land

E19 Special Landscape Areas

E20 Watercourses and Wetlands

E21 European Protected Sites

E22 Local Biodiversity and Geodiversity Sites

E23 Protection of Biodiversity

E24 Tree Preservation Orders

E25 Trees on Development Sites

E26 New Tree Planting

E27 The Coast

E28 Landfill

E29 Waste Management Sites

C1 Community and Leisure Facilities

C2 Sports Facilities within Settlements

C3 Sports and Recreational Facilities in theCountryside

C4 Open Space and Urban Parks

C5 Public Open Space

C6 Allotments

C7 School and Further Education EstablishmentGrounds

C8 Footpaths/Cycleways/Bridleways

T1 The Transport Network

T2 Traffic Safety in New Development

I1 Renewable Energy

I2 Combined Heat and Power

I3 Water and Sewerage

I4 Flooding and Water Quality

I5 Sustainable Urban Drainage

I6 Telecommunications

I7 Health and Safety Consultation Zones



POLICY D1 DEVELOPERCONTRIBUTIONS

Policy D1

Developer Contributions

For all new development the Council willseek appropriate contributions fromdevelopers to ensure adequateinfrastructure provision and to mitigatefor any adverse environmental impactbrought about by a proposeddevelopment. Where relevant,contributions will also be sought to assistwith town centre regeneration consistentwith the Local Plan strategy. Planningconditions and legal agreements will beinformed by a clear methodology to secureappropriate developer contributionsrelated to the impact of each development.

Each Local Plan will include a financialframework which apportions the total costof infrastructure and services acrossdevelopment(s), and takes into accountthe locational and cumulative pressures ofeach. The financial framework will help toillustrate developer requirements withinthe Local Plan area consistent withstatements of national planning policy asset out in Circular 12/1996, and will bereviewed as part of the Local Plan ActionProgramme.

The Council will seek either the directprovision of requirements by developersor contributions towards their cost (inwhole or part) if these are to be providedby others, including the Council.

Reason

New development can impose a significant burdenupon the infrastructure and amenity of acommunity, stretching existing communityresources and creating the need for additionalprovision or mitigation. Where deficiencies occur,

developers will be expected to make anappropriate contribution to any shortfall relatedto their development as well as providing for allthat is required to bring forward that development.

Circular 12/1996 confirms this approach, detailingGovernment policy on the use of planningagreements: a planning authority may enter intoan agreement with any person interested in landin their area (in so far as the interest of that personenables him to bind the land) for the purpose ofrestricting or regulating the development or useof that land, either permanently or during suchperiod as may be prescribed by the agreement.(http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/1996/04/circular-12-1996)

The Council will expect the development industryto provide the essential community infrastructureneeded to support their developments, includingtransportation improvements and facilities. Thefinancial framework associated with this Local Planwill assist by providing specific information on theanticipated infrastructure required. Further detailsare also contained in Local Plan policies and insupplementary guidance such as Fife CouncilAffordable Housing Policy 2005,Wind Energy 2008and Fife Urban Design Guide 2005. Each is subjectto review and will, where appropriate, bemonitored within the Local Plan ActionProgramme.

Contributions from developers will also beessential to ensuring effective town centreregeneration. Accordingly the Council will workin partnership with developers, communities, andother interested parties to ensure the delivery ofrequired community infrastructure or to satisfyother identified regeneration needs.

Examples of community infrastructure include:the provision of education, open space, sport, andhealthcare facilities; local shops and services;public transport facilities and services; strategicand local transportation improvements; walkingand cycling improvement links; affordable housing;environmental improvements or landscapeenhancement schemes; and public art.



POLICY D2 LOCAL EMPLOYMENTAGREEMENTS

Policy D2

Local Employment Agreements

The use of Local Employment Agreements(LEAs) will be supported for all majordevelopments.

Reason

LEAs are a tool that can achieve a number ofdesired community benefits. By targeting theopportunities created from new investment, it maybe possible to improve the levels of social inclusionand employment prospects for Fife residents.

Developers are encouraged to enter into initialdiscussions at an early stage, particularly beforesubmitting planning applications. Following thesediscussions and prior to gaining planning approvalthe business will be encouraged to enter into aLocal Employment Agreement with Fife Council,the focus of which will be the provision ofemployment and training opportunities totargeted groups in Fife. Through LEAs, developersand retailers will identify and agree a range ofemployment opportunities i.e. jobs, interviewsand training places. This arrangement will serveto assist the business contribute to economic andcommunity benefits and it will also increase theextent to which the benefits of local developmentare targeted at local communities.

Within the terms of such an agreement, thedeveloper will:

commit a number of recruitment/trainingopportunities to targeted groups;be actively involved and committed tocascading the agreement’s obligations downto other contractor(s)/sub-contractor(s)involved in the development;liaise with a named member of DevelopmentServices staff, initially, to provide guidance

on the company’s recruitment and trainingrequirements;participate in pre and post recruitmentpromotional/publicity activities; andcontribute to evaluation of customisedtraining and recruitment activities.

The local economy will benefit through using thisnew resource and LEAs will also assist businessesin contributing to economic and communitybenefits.

LEAs will be negotiated withdevelopers/employers and will form part of legalagreements and Fife Council staff will support theirimplementation.

Major developments are those defined in the Townand Country Planning (Hierarchy of Developments)(Scotland) Regulations 2009 and Circular 5/2009– Hierarchy of Developments.

POLICY R1 RETAIL CENTRES

Policy R1

Retail Centres

i) Within the network of centres, proposalsfor retail floorspace in the form of newdevelopment, extensions orredevelopment will be supportedproviding that they are located in towncentres. A retail impact assessment will notnormally be required for these proposals.For other locations, a retail impactassessment will be required fordevelopments of 1,000 square metresgross floorspace or more. For all locationsoutwith town centres, the sequential testwill be applied.

ii) The loss or change of use of retailpremises in town centres and secondaryshopping areas/neighbourhood centres tonon-retail uses will only be supportedwhere:



a. there is a clear community need forthe proposed use which outweighs theretailing need; or

b. if part of a group of shops, the losswould not adversely affect thecharacter, vitality and viability of thatgroup; or

c. the proposed use would be anacceptable complementary use to theretail role of the centre; or

d. the premises are vacant with nodemand for other retail use.

Reason

Retailing is a key driver of the economy, andappropriate new development should beencouraged, particularly in town centres. Thispolicy is intended to support new retaildevelopment, direct it to the most sustainablelocations, and in doing so, support town centresstrongly. The retail hierarchy is defined as:

RoleDefinitionType of centre

Smaller catchment areas thancity centres but wider thandistrict town centres and local

As defined in the Fife StructurePlan

Sub-regional town centres

centres. Provides a broad rangeof comparison and foodshopping, financial, business, andleisure uses.

Provides a smaller range ofcomparison and food shopping.Includes some local financial, andleisure facilities.

As defined in the Fife StructurePlan

District town centres

Local catchment serving eitherentire settlements and their ruralhinterlands or suburban parts oflarger settlements. This list is notprescriptive and may vary.*

Small town centres such asAnstruther, Burntisland, DalgetyBay, Inverkeithing, Kelty,Kennoway, Kincardine, Kinghorn,Lochgelly, Leslie, Methil,Newburgh and Tayport.

Local town centres

Retailing in such locations shouldbe supportive of andcomplementary to town centres.

These will vary between towncentres, but they will generallybe adjacent to town centre

Edge of town centre locations

boundaries. They will be withineasy and comfortable walkingdistance of the identified primeretail area. May also overlap withsome other commercial centressuch as Carnegie Drive RetailPark.

Neighbourhood centres serve alocal area or part of a settlementin terms of convenience goods.They have a limited role.

For example suburban centressuch as St Clair Street, Kirkcaldyor St Leonards in Dunfermline.Also neighbourhood centres

Secondary shoppingareas/Neighbourhood Centres



RoleDefinitionType of centre

such as Glenwood Centre,Glenrothes or Duloch ParkCentre, Dunfermline.

Retail parks specialise in largerformat retail units and bulkygoods. May have restrictions onthe type of goods to be sold.

Retail Parks i.e. Saltire Retail Park,Central Fife Retail Park, HalbeathRetail Park, Carnegie Drive RetailPark.

Commercial centres

Within urban areas but separatedfrom town centres andcommercial centres.

Examples such as Asda, Kirkcaldyand Morrisons, St Andrews,

Out-of-centre

* Includes small town & village centres

To support the hierarchy of the retail centrenetwork, the sequential approach to capacity andtherefore site selection – as promoted by SPP8 –Town Centres & Retailing – will be applied,irrespective of ownership. In order of preference,the clear sequence of site selection is: first, definedtown centres; then edge of town centre locations;then secondary shopping areas andneighbourhood centres; then commercial centres;and, as a last resort, out of centre sites such asstand alone superstores. Any application of thesequential approach will take into account the sizeand nature of the centre. For example higher ordertown centres should accommodate larger-scaleproposals than small town/village centres. Edgeof town centre locations will generally be definedas being adjacent to town centre boundaries, andwell linked to and within easy walking distance ofthe town centre. Policy R1 is intended to assist inmaking Fife’s town centres more distinctive andcompetitive, and ensuring that new retailing isaccessible to as many sectors of the communityas possible. Retail impact assessments forproposals in town centres will not be required inmost circumstances, given the Council’s wish topromote these centres for retail use, but theCouncil reserves the right to ask for such anassessment if it has reason to believe that aproposal will introduce a scale or type of retail usewhich will be harmful to the role and character ofthe centre. In cases where retail impactassessments are required, named operators andthe range of goods to be sold should be specified.

New development should be designed to a highstandard, be consistent with the character, androle of the centre, be accessible to all sectors ofthe community. Furthermore, it must not adverselyaffect residential amenity.

The Fife Structure Plan 2006-26 identifies thedistrict town centres as being Glenrothes, Cupar,St Andrews, Leven, and Cowdenbeath, whichshould complement rather than compete with thesub-regional town centres of Dunfermline andKirkcaldy.

Proposals leading to the loss of retail and othercommercial floorspace (Use Classes 1, 2, 3; andfood and drink, hot food takeaways, and licensedpremises) will be assessed against the impactwhich the proposal will have on the role of thetown or local centre. The change of use of retailfloorspace to non-retail uses within these centreswill have to be justified and will therefore bemonitored to assess its impact against the needto ensure that town and other commercial centrescontinue to provide local shopping facilities. Thisassessment will include consideration of whetherthe proposed non-retail use will be compatiblewith the character and role of the centre, and makea positive contribution to its range of facilities andattractions.

In the case of vacant premises, the Council willneed to be satisfied that there is no demand forretail use. This is likely to require evidence thatpremises have been marketed effectively for retailuse for at least 12 months without receiving areasonable response from prospective occupiers.



Town centres are more than just shopping areasand they provide a range of vital civic, leisure andservice facilities for the Plan area. The Local Planseeks to maintain and promote this character anddiversity, which will be monitored through annualtown centre audits and health checks.

POLICY R2 CONVENIENCE RETAILOUTWITH TOWN OR LOCALCENTRES

Policy R2

Convenience Retail Outwith Town or LocalCentres

Convenience retail development outwithdefined town centres will only besupported where:

a. it can be demonstrated to theCouncil’s satisfaction that capacitydoes not exist in the existing towncentre; and

b. it will not have a detrimental effect,either cumulatively or individually, onthe vitality and viability of town andto a lesser extent local centres; and

c. it will not undermine the viability ofproposed town centre developments,including schemes under construction;and

(c) the scale and character of thedevelopment is in keeping with thelocation or role of the settlement; and

(d) it provides consumer benefits in termsof choice, quality, minimising the need totravel, accessibility and convenience.

Where it can be proved to the Council’ssatisfaction that no equivalent capacityexists within the town centre then asequential approach will be used favouringfirstly, local centres, edge of centrelocations, followed by neighbourhoodcentres, other commercial centres andfinally out of centre locations.

Proposals for convenience shoppingdevelopment should be well located inrelation to the communities they areintended to serve, should be accessible bypublic transport, and should minimise theneed for travel between settlements. Theyshould be informed by the most up-to-dateretail capacity study. Relocation of existingtown centre stores over 1,000 sq m grossfloorspace to locations outwith towncentres will not generally be supported.

Reason

SPP8 requires the sequential approach to beapplied to retail proposals, including those forconvenience floorspace with a clear preferencefor town centre sites. It is essential thatdevelopments involving convenience shoppingare easily accessible to all sectors of thecommunity, are well served by public transportand minimise the need for travel. Food shoppingin particular should be located to satisfy localdemand. New development should not adverselyaffect residential amenity.

A retail impact assessment will be therefore berequired for developments of 1,000 square metresgross floorspace or more to assess the retail impacton the role of the town centres and may berequired to assess the impact on local centres. Incases where retail impact assessments arerequired, named operators and the range of goodsto be sold should be specified.

For all locations outwith town centres, thesequential test will be applied, irrespective ofownership.



POLICY R3 COMPARISON RETAILOUTWITH TOWN OR LOCALCENTRES

Policy R3

Comparison Retail Outwith Town or LocalCentres

Town centre locations will be the preferredlocation for comparison retailing,especially personal goods. Proposals forcomparison floorspace outwith theselocations, will only be supported where:

a. it can be demonstrated to theCouncil’s satisfaction that capacitydoes not exist in the existing towncentre; and

b. it will not have a detrimental effect onthe vitality and viability, eithercumulatively or individually, of towncentres; and

c. it provides consumer benefits in termsof choice, quality, accessibility andconvenience; and

(d) the scale and character of thedevelopment is compatible with thelocation.

The sequential approach to capacity willbe adopted, irrespective of site ownership.Town centre sites will be stronglypreferred. If no such opportunities existthen local centre sites will be givenpreference over edge of centre sites whichwill be given preference over othercommercial centres which in turn will begiven preference over out of centrelocations.

Modern superstores now provide a rangeof goods including comparison goods tocomplement their convenience offering.New superstore proposals outwith towncentres will require to demonstrate to theCouncil’s satisfaction that that the levelsof both convenience and comparison

impact on established town centres do notharm their vitality and viability. The sizeof such stores may be restricted. Althougha limited display of comparison goods isacceptable to reflect modern retailingtrends, the Council will seek to set a 30%limit on the percentage of floorspacedevoted to such goods in edge of centrelocations and a 25% limit in out of towncentre locations in order to support Fife’stown centres.

Retail parks will focus on the provision ofbulky goods and twin trading may only bepermitted where the nature of the goodsto be sold is not the same as thoseavailable in town centres.

Notes:

1) Proposals for comparison retailing whichis ancillary to wholesaling/distributivebusiness (10% or less of turnover) areexempt from this policy.

2) The only circumstances under whichpercentage floorspace thresholds mightbe exceeded would be when they arepromoted by Fife Council as part of anagreed or approved regeneration scheme.

Reason

SPP8 requires the sequential approach to beapplied to retail and commercial leisure proposalswith a strong preference for town centre sites. Itis essential that developments are easily accessibleto all sectors of the community, are well served bypublic transport and minimise the need for travel.It is essential that such proposals do not adverselyaffect residential amenity and can be adequatelyaccessed by public and private transport. Proposalsfor comparison retailing, particularly thoseinvolving personal goods such as clothing andfootwear, will be directed to town centres. Withthis aim, prospective developers of floorspace notin accord with that approach will require to satisfythe sequential approach (irrespective ofownership), the provisions of Policy R3 and submita retail impact assessment for proposals in excess



of 1,000 square metres gross floorspace. In caseswhere retail impact assessments are required,named operators and the range of goods to besold should be specified.

In recent years there has been a tendency for largefood superstores to sell an increasing range ofcomparison goods. Depending upon the locationand size of the store in question this canundermine the vitality and viability of nearby townand commercial centres and the Council’s planningstrategy is for the continued concentration ofcomparison floorspace in town centres.Restrictions on the extent of comparison goodssold by food superstores in edge of centre, out ofcentre and retail park locations may therefore beapplied by restricting the proportion of sales areagiven over to comparison goods if justified by theretail impact assessment. Generally, superstoresin edge of centre locations will be permitted aslightly higher proportion of comparisonfloorspace than those in out of centre locations,although less than those in town centres.

Retail Parks outwith town centres should focus onthe sale of bulky/DIY goods and shouldcomplement, not undermine the role of towncentres. Conditions restricting the sale of particulargoods or the format of individual units will be usedin support of the sequential test. Twin trading (thepresence of a specific type of retailer in both towncentre and out of town centre locations) may onlybe permitted where the range of goods to be soldare not the same as those available in town centresin order to give preference to town centres asmore sustainable locations. The range ofcomparison goods to be sold from locationsoutwith town centres such as retail parks will belimited by conditions to exclude the undernotedcategories: clothing or footwear; jewellery orwatches/clocks; books, CDs, or DVDs/videorecordings, including games software.

POLICY R4 FACTORY SHOPS

Policy R4

Factory Shops

Factory shops which are ancillary to industrialuses and which, sell goods manufactured onthe premises will be supported provided thatthey do not affect the vitality and viability ofnearby town centres, commercial centres, oremployment land; and the development andits surroundings can accommodate thenumber of shoppers attracted.

Reason

Factory shops which are ancillary to the factoryare supported in principle. However, an importantconsideration is the scale of the proposals and theneed to avoid adverse impact on the vitality andviability of nearby town and other commercialcentres.

POLICY B1 ESTABLISHEDEMPLOYMENT AREAS -SAFEGUARDING

Policy B1

Established Employment Areas -Safeguarding

Allocated and established employmentareas, as identified on the Proposals Map,and others that in the view of Fife Councilserve a valuable employment purpose, willbe safeguarded for continued industrialand business use. Proposals for change ofuse will only be supported where:

a. they do not prejudice the availablesupply of development opportunitiesfor the existing designated use classeswithin the site; and



b. it is demonstrated that there is noclear evidence of future employmentuse or development; and

c. the proposed use would not be likelyto restrict the range of uses which canbe carried out by existing or potentialfuture businesses on neighbouringemployment sites; and

d. a 7-year supply of employment landis maintained in settlements above5,000 population and in clusters inrural areas; or

e. they are appropriate ancillary servicesthat can be demonstrated to meet theneeds of employees and complementexisting businesses and satisfy thecriteria set out in Policy E4.

Reason

The applicant will be required to demonstratethrough evidence of marketing at a reasonablerate, which will be determined at the date of theapplication, for a reasonable time period, thatneither the existing building nor the site have aprospect of being redeveloped for employmentuse classes 4, 5 & 6. Other uses, such as motorshowrooms and children’s play centres will not beacceptable in allocated and establishedemployment areas unless it can be demonstratedthat there are no sites available within areasidentified in the Proposals Map, the proposalsatisfies the sequential test, and the proposeddevelopment is accessible by public transport andnot reliant on the use of the private car. In respectof clause (d), developers may be required toreplace lost employment land if development isotherwise acceptable and where the proposalwould lead to the 7 year employment land supply(monitored through Fife Council’s EmploymentLand Audit) not being maintained. In respect ofclause (e), ancillary uses will apply only to siteswith total employment exceeding 500 jobs or tosites of 6 hectares or more and will relate in scaleto the employment area within which they arelocated.

POLICY B2 PROTECTING EXISTINGEMPLOYMENT/TOURISM/LOCALCOMMUNITY FACILITIES

Policy B2

Protecting ExistingEmployment/Tourism/Local CommunityFacilities

There will be a presumption against theloss of facilities that serve a valuableemployment, tourism and/or localcommunity purpose, such as hotels, publichouses, restaurants and leisure facilities.If seeking change of use, applicants will berequired to demonstrate that:

(a) the existing business is not viable, and

(b) the existing building cannot be reusedfor its existing purpose or redeveloped fora similar local community or tourismpurpose; and

(c) that equivalent alternative facilities forthis use exist elsewhere in the localcommunity

Reason

The Local Plan strategy aims to promotesustainable communities and to strengthen andenhance the role of town and village centres whilstalso supporting additional tourism developmentand the local economy in rural areas. The loss oflocal facilities that serve a valuable community/tourism purpose can have a significant impact onthe local economy and applicants will be requiredto demonstrate through evidence of marketing atfair market value for the current market use, for areasonable time period i.e. 18 months, that theexisting building cannot be reused for its existingpurpose, that equivalent alternative facilities existin the local community, and that the site cannotbe redeveloped for a local community or tourismpurpose.



POLICY B3 WORKING FROM HOME

Policy B3

Working from Home

Proposals from occupiers for the partchange of use of their house, to permitworking from home, will be supportedwhere:

a. there is no adverse effect on

the amenity of the occupiers of thehouse;the amenity of occupiers ofneighbouring premises;the character and appearance of thehouse and its locality; and

b. there is no advertising on thepremises.

A temporary permission is most likely tobe granted to permit the Council to reviewthe situation, and to take account of anychanges to the intensity or nature of theactivities, including business traffic.

Reason

The growth of e-commerce is likely to fuel anincreasing demand for working from home. In thisrespect, dwellinghouses can provide suitableaccommodation for new and small-scalebusinesses that create no disturbance toneighbours. The Local Plan does not seek to stifleappropriate initiatives, but nevertheless willprotect neighbours from disturbance due to noise,odours or increased callers or traffic. DetailedGuidance Notes on working from home will beproduced during the lifetime of the Local Plan.

POLICY B4 AREAS OF MIXED USE

Policy B4

Areas of Mixed Use

The co-location of compatible uses will besupported within the Areas of Mixed Useidentified on the Proposals Map.

Reason

Rigid segregation of land uses within built-up areasis appropriate for incompatible land uses such ashousing and heavy industry. Co-location ofcompatible uses (i.e. uses which do not requirespecial abatement to be employed at the premisesin order to avoid nuisance), however, promotesbalanced communities, accessibility to services,and more sustainable travel patterns. Areas ofMixed Use are characterised by a mix ofemployment sources and commercial andcommunity facilities. Regeneration, and promotingdevelopment opportunities within these areas willexpand and diversify the range of facilities andservices available to the local population whilstproviding localised employment opportunities.Where relevant, the impact upon residentialamenity will be an important consideration inassessing development proposals, though itcannot be the sole determinant as might be thecase in entirely residential areas.

POLICY B5 TOURISM AND HOTELDEVELOPMENTS

Policy B5

Tourism and Hotel Development

The development of new hotels, touristfacilities and attractions or theimprovement or expansion of existingfacilities will be supported where:

a. the proposal is of a scale, nature anddesign appropriate to its setting;



b. the proposal does not have a materialadverse impact on the natural andbuilt environment, or on the vitalityand viability of town centres;

c. the proposal is accessible to, or ableto be made accessible to, the existingor planned public transport network;and

d. the traffic generated does not have amaterial adverse impact upon theroad network.

Reason

Tourist development is important to the Fifeeconomy. However, it is also important thatschemes are well located and site services areavailable or can be provided. Such developmentand the resulting scale of increase in visitorpressure are most likely to be acceptable if theproposal forms part of a farm diversificationscheme or is located as part of an existingcommercial or tourist related business. Holidayaccommodation makes an important contributionto visitor accommodation. The Council iscommitted to improving visitor accommodationthroughout the Plan area. It is, however, importantto prevent the use of holiday accommodation suchas chalets and caravans as permanent residencesand the Council will produce supplementaryguidance on this issue during the lifetime of theLocal Plan.

POLICY B6 COMMERCIAL LEISUREDEVELOPMENT

Policy B6

Commerical Leisure Development

Commercial leisure development will besupported where:

a. it satisfies the sequential approach;b. it is compatible with surrounding uses;

c. there is an identified demand for thefacility; and

d. the operation of the proposed facilityis, or can be, served by appropriatepublic transport.

Reason

The sequential approach, promoted by SPP8 setsout the preferred order of priority of locations forconsideration of retail and and leisure proposalsas follows: first, defined town centres, then edgeof town centres, then other establishedcommercial centres including local shopping areasor retail parks, and finally, out of centre sites.Significant commercial leisure developmentappropriate to an urban area is best located in orclose to a town centre where it can complementother visitor attractions offered and provide goodpublic transport links for access by the communityand visitors alike.

POLICY H1 DEVELOPMENT PLANDEPARTURES – HOUSING SITES

Policy H1

Development Plan Departures - HousingSites

Proposals for housing developments onsites identified for housing in this LocalPlan will be regarded as departures fromthe development plan where they falloutwith the threshold of +/- 20% or +/- 5houses (whichever is the greater) of thestated Local Plan site capacity of the site.

Reason

The threshold allows a consistent approach to betaken on departures and potential departures forall sites in the Local Plan. The tolerance coverslower and upper limits to allow the Council to takea view on proposals which do not make best useof limited land. The policy also allows reasonableflexibility on smaller sites. The departure procedure



allows for greater scrutiny of the merits of theapplication when assessed against theDevelopment Plan; it does not imply an approvalor refusal of a proposal.

POLICY H2 AFFORDABLE ANDSPECIAL NEEDS HOUSING

Policy H2

Affordable and Special Needs Housing

The Council will facilitate the provision ofgood quality affordable housing to meetidentified needs. This should be fullyintegrated into new development and beindistinguishable from other forms ofhousing. In order to achieve mixed andbalanced communities, mixed tenuredevelopments will be promoted: forexample, social rented housing, sharedequity housing and, low cost housing forsale.

At Housing Market Area (HMA) level, thefollowing overall requirements will apply:(sub areas identified are those where therequirements differ from the HMA)

HMASub Area

Dunfermline & West Fife 25% Kelty 5%

Benarty 5%

Lochgelly 5%

Cowdenbeath 5%

Cupar & NW Fife 20%

St Andrews & NE Fife 30%

Kirkcaldy,

Glenrothes & Central Fife 10% Methil 5%

Buckhaven 5%

Kirkcaldy 15%

These requirements will not be soughtfrom sites solely for affordable or specialneeds housing. As the scale of affordablehousing need in the St Andrews & NE FifeHousing Market Area has beendemonstrated to be significantly higherthan elsewhere in Fife, a requirement of30% has been established for that area.Percentage requirements will vary outwiththe Local Plan cycle in line with the mostup to date Housing Needs and AffordabilityStudy and progress made towardsachieving targets. This will be reviewedthrough the Structure Plan Action Plan andsupplementary guidance.

In urban areas, the contribution should beprovided on-site for sites of 20 units andabove and off-site for sites of between 2and 19 units, inclusive. In rural areas, thecontribution should be provided on-sitefor sites of 10 units and above and off-sitefor sites of between 2 and 9 units, inclusive.Reductions will only apply where there areexceptional circumstances, which clearlydemonstrate that a contribution is notpossible. Where on-site provision is notpossible the contribution should normallybe provided within the same locality areaor, failing that, within the same HousingMarket Area.

Proposals in excess of the Structure Planhousing land requirement but solely forthe provision of affordable and specialneeds housing will be supported wherethey:

a. are made available for local need,identified in partnership with FifeCouncil, and will continue to beavailable for that need; and

b. are on non-brownfield sites within oradjacent to the identified settlementlimits and no alternative brownfeldsite is available; and

c. do not prejudice the implementationof Development Plan policies.



The Council’s clear preference will be forbuilt units on site but the provision ofserviced land will also be appropriate,depending on local circumstances. Off-sitecontributions should also take the form offully serviced land. If this is not achievable,developers may, as a last resort, opt tomake a financial contribution to theprovision of affordable housing if this ismutually acceptable. The form of thecontribution required will be assessedbased on development costs and site andmarket conditions.

The Council will seek provision andretention of affordable housing forsuccessive occupiers/owners through arange of appropriate mechanisms.

Note: Special needs housing providedthrough this policy should also beaffordable.

Reason

Affordable housing is defined as housing of areasonable quality that is affordable to people onmodest incomes, and will include a range oftenures, including property for rent and/or saleand shared ownership. Provision in excess of theabove percentage requirements will be welcomed.

Affordable and special needs housing will beexempt from any permitted change of use to ahouse in multiple occupation, as detailed in PolicyH3. It is important that affordable housing shouldremain available to meet the future needs of localpeople and the Council will seek retention forsuccessive owners/occupiers for a minimum of 10years through the use of planning agreements,negotiations with owners/developers, and othermechanisms.

The Fife Housing Partnership (FHP), established inOctober 2001, is one of the Strategic partnershipswithin the Council’s Community PlanningFramework. It has, amongst its objectives, theprovision of good quality special needs housingand a commitment to agreed priority areas andpriority housing needs. Fife Council will work in

partnership with key stakeholders within the FHPto help to deliver affordable housing. Detailedsupplementary guidance is contained within theSupplementary Guidance on Affordable Housing(November 2005) and the Affordable HousingPolicy Implementation Guide (November 2005).Developers are encouraged to enter intopre-application discussions and further advice onFife Council’s Affordable Housing Policy can beobtained from Fife Council Housing Service.

POLICY H3 HOUSES IN MULTIPLEOCCUPATION

Policy H3

Houses in Multiple Occupation

The use of a new build house or flat as ahouse in multiple occupation (HMO) willnot be permitted unless the developmentis purpose-built for that use. The Councilwill impose this restriction by applying acondition to planning permissions.

A change of use application for an existingproperty to be used as a house in multipleoccupation will only be permitted if:

a. in the case of a flat with a sharedinternal stair or entrance, all otherproperties sharing the stair andentrance are already in multipleoccupancy and have planningpermission to operate as a HMO;

b. it will not be detrimental to pedestrianor traffic safety arising from car orbicycle parking;

c. it will not be detrimental to theestablished residential character andamenity; and

d. the property is not designated asaffordable housing provided throughpolicies requiring affordable housing(Policy H2 or the earlier policyequivalents).



Reason

This policy aims to achieve some degree of balancebetween the competing demands foraccommodation and the need to maintainbalanced and mixed communities. The Councilsupports the future development of purpose-builthouse accommodation which can specifically servethe needs of those who may benefit from this typeof accommodation. At the same time there is aneed to protect new development from beingpriced out of the market for general needs andaffordable homes. The policy therefore prohibitsthe use of new houses and flats as HMOs and seeksto control the changes in use of existing propertyfor use as HMOs.

Affordable housing provided as a result of policiesrequiring affordable housing contributions needto be safeguarded for that purpose to maintainthat housing stock. These, too, are protected fromchange of use to HMOs.

POLICY H4 GYPSY TRAVELLERSAND TRAVELLING SHOWPEOPLE

Policy H4

Gypsy Travellers and TravellingShowpeople

Fife Council will support proposalsidentified through the Development Planor Local Housing Strategy process toestablish sites for the accommodation ofgypsy travellers and travelling showpeopleprovided that:

a. the proposal will not result in the lossof prime quality agricultural land;

b. the site is not located within oradjacent to residential areas, strategicemployment land or recreationalareas;

c. there is no adverse effect on sites ofecological value;

d. the site does not create a danger tothe health and safety of travellers;

e. the proposal would not lead toexcessive establishment or servicingcosts;

f. proper management of any site willbe undertaken by Fife Council or anappropriate agency;

g. the site is accessible to communityservices required to meet the needsof site occupants; and

h. the site is not conspicuous from anyview from a major road.

In addition, the site must be easilyaccessible, but not conspicuous from anyview from a major road. All road safetyconcerns must be met in accordance withthe Fife Council's TransportationDevelopment Guidelines. Proposals forsmall, privately owned sites will beassessed against the criteria in this policy.

Reason

SPP 3: Planning for Housing requires localauthorities to have regard to the needs ofgypsies/travellers through the Local HousingStrategy and the development plan. Through itsCo-operation Policy, the Council recognises gypsytravellers’ rights to travel. The Council recognisesthat it would be inappropriate to use land-usecontrols to force people to abandon theirtraditional way of life. Fife Council has, therefore,provided for permanent sites for Gypsy Travellersat: Tarvit Mill, Cupar; Heathery Wood, Kirkcaldy;and Thornton Wood, Kelty. Further public sectorprovision for gypsy travellers is currently beingconsidered in accordance with ScottishGovernment Guidance. A total of 6 to 8 sites arerequired to be found throughout Fife. There is alsoan opportunity for privately-run sites to beestablished to meet the recognised demand toaccommodate gypsy travellers. Criteria forestablishing such sites will help guide sitedevelopment, which, if completed, will create abetter basis on which to enforce action againstunauthorised sites.



POLICY E1 DEVELOPMENTOUTWITH TOWN AND VILLAGEENVELOPES

Policy E1

Development Outwith Town and VillageEnvelopes

Outwith the settlement limits as definedby town and village envelopes shown onthe Proposals Map, development will onlybe permitted where it is in accordance withpolicies E15 to E29.

Reason

Town and village envelopes as shown on theProposals Map define the existing and planneddevelopment limits of individual settlements. Theyprevent the unplanned outward expansion ofsettlements into the countryside, wheredevelopments will be controlled by policies E15to E29. The envelopes, and the Local Planallocations within them, have been determinedby a variety of factors, including: physicalboundaries such as roads, walls, woodlands andlandform; the protection of sites of amenity orconservation value; agricultural land quality;whether or not sites have planning permission;and the requirement for additional developmentland to meet community needs whilst also havingregard to the avoidance of settlement coalescence.

POLICY E2 DEVELOPMENT WITHINTOWN AND VILLAGE ENVELOPES

Policy E2

Development within Town and VillageEnvelopes

Within the settlement limits as defined bytown and village envelopes, developmentwill be supported where:

a. it conforms to relevant DevelopmentPlan policies and proposals; or

b. it is for affordable or special needshousing;

and the proposal:

is not prejudicial to the land supplystrategy of the Local Plan;is compatible with neighbouring uses;and will not adversely affect theprivacy of neighbours;respects the character, appearanceand prevailing pattern ofdevelopment of the adjacenttownscape in terms of density, scale,massing, design, external finishes andaccess arrangements;does not prejudice comprehensive(re)development; andcomplies with any development briefor other planning guidance which hasbeen agreed or issued by Fife Council.

Reason

Where land falls within the settlement limits, itdoes not necessarily imply that development willalways prove acceptable. Development proposalswill still need to satisfy the criteria in Policy E2which aim to protect and enhance the amenity ofbuilt-up areas; whilst support is offered toproposals which maximise the potential ofdevelopment land. Care must be taken to avoidover-development or damage to any areas ofspecial character, particularly in conservation areasand also to low-density areas comprising largerproperties, including the development of backlandsites.



POLICY E3 DEVELOPMENT QUALITY– ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Policy E3

Development Quality - EnvironmentalImpact

New development must make a positivecontribution to the quality of its immediateenvironment both in terms of itsenvironmental impact and the quality ofplace it will create. This will be achievedthrough the application of the followingprinciples which the Council will take intoaccount in assessing planning applications.New development is required to:

(a) secure the most practicable energyefficiency benefits by use of layout, siting,orientation, building design features, andother energy efficient measures;

(b) demonstrate a commitment tolandscape protection and improvementtaking into account linkages to existinglandscape features and the need to providebiodiversity enhancement;

c. include measures to promote,enhance, and add to biodiversity;

d. address foul and surface waterdrainage issues;

e. include water and energyconservation measures;

f. incorporate appropriate wasterecycling, segregation, and collectionfacilities; and

g. minimise waste by design and duringconstruction

Developers will also be required to haveregard to relevant supplementary planningguidance produced in this regard.

Reason

The Council expects high standards of design andenvironmental quality in all new developments inorder to enhance the built environment and toprotect the character of individual areas, in supportof the provisions of SPP1. Policy E3 will be appliedproportionally to the scale of each developmentproposal and seeks to ensure that all developmentmakes a positive contribution to its immediateenvironment.

A key role of the planning system is to support amove towards low and zero carbon developmentthrough the use of energy efficient,micro-generating and renewable energy systems.Policy E3 will be applied to assist in achieving thisaim as new development takes place. Thisapproach is supported by Policy I1 (RenewableEnergy) which sets out the specific requirementsfor all new developments.

In 2006 the UK ratified the Council of Europe’sEuropean Landscape Convention, an internationaltreaty which highlights the importance oflandscape alongside other areas such asbiodiversity and cultural heritage. It promotes theprotection, management and planning of alllandscapes. The Scottish Landscape Forum, set upin 2006 to discuss and present an approach tobetter care for Scotland’s landscapes, reported toScottish Ministers in 2007. The recommendationsof the Forum are being taken forward by theScottish Government, including in the review ofSPP14 – The Natural Heritage. The Forumrecognised the importance of designations as partof an ‘all landscapes’ approach and recommendedfurther action to strengthen local landscapedesignations. Areas of Great Landscape Value(AGLVs) have been reviewed in preparing thisLocal Plan, and replaced with Special LandscapeAreas.

Opportunities should be taken to promote,enhance, and add to biodiversity through layout,landscaping, overall design and wildlife corridorlinks to adjoining areas.

The provision of recycling facilities within housingdevelopments will also be required. Current FifeCouncil guidance requires provision of facilities at



a ratio of 1 per 500 houses. Developers areencouraged to enter into pre-applicationdiscussions and further advice can be obtainedfrom Fife Council Environmental Services. Thedesign and layout of new houses must also takeaccount of the need to store recycling bins.

Where larger developments are proposed, orwhere the site is prominent or environmentallysensitive, a detailed development brief and/ormasterplan may be prepared by the Council toguide developers on key issues. The developer willbe required to demonstrate that theenvironmental and traffic impacts of the proposalsare acceptable by preparing environmental andtransport assessments and drainage impactassessments. For major developments a masterand phasing plan, showing all land uses and thetimescale for implementation, will also be requiredto ensure an integrated and comprehensivedevelopment. In addition, development must takefull account of the Fife Urban Design GuideCreating a Better Fife and, where appropriate, theadvice in the Fife Masterplans Handbook.

Finally, the environmental impact of waste fromnew development can be minimised through thelifecycle of the development from design toconstruction to end use. The Council encouragesdevelopers to avoid and then minimise waste fromthe early stages of development design and in thecase of all non-domestic buildings with a footprintin excess of 500 square metres, water recyclingsystems must be incorporated into the design ofthe building, unless it can be demonstrated by thedevelopers that this would jeopardise thecommercial viability of the development.

POLICY E4 DEVELOPMENT QUALITY- DESIGN

Policy E4

Development Quality - Design

New development must make a positivecontribution to its immediate environmentin terms of the quality of the development.This will be achieved through the

application of the following principleswhich the Council will take into account inassessing planning applications. Newdevelopment is required to:

a. demonstrate well thought out design,and high standards of architecture interms of form, scale, layout, detailing,and choice of materials;

b. make best use of site attributes –particularly landform, trees andwoodland, and natural and builtheritage features;

c. provide open space which shouldinclude individual areas for equippedplay, sport, and general recreationappropriate to the scale and nature ofthe development and secure the long- term maintenance of public andcommon areas;

d. provide safe and convenient accessfor pedestrians, cyclists and peoplewith disabilities or impaired mobility,including safe routes to school, linksto the core path network and forsustainable modes of transport;

e. protect personal privacy and amenity;and

f. enhance community safety.

The application of innovative designsolutions will be supported. To raise andmaintain design standards throughoutFife, all development proposals mustcomply with the principles as described inthe Fife Urban Design Guide.

For larger, prominent or sensitive sites,Fife Council will prepare developmentbriefs and masterplans. Developers mayalso be required to prepare developmentbriefs, masterplans, or design statementsand these will be subject to agreement orapproval of the Council and must complywith the Fife Masterplans Handbook.Subsequent development will require toconform to the approved guidance.



Reason

The Council expects high standards of design andenvironmental quality in all new developments inorder to enhance the built environment and toprotect the character of individual areas, in supportof the provisions of SPP1. Policy E4 will be appliedproportionally to the scale of each developmentproposal and seeks to ensure that all developmentmakes a positive contribution to its immediateenvironment.

Where development in the countryside isacceptable in principle, the design guidelines inPolicies E3 and E16 will apply, to ensure highquality. Sensitive location and siting ofdevelopment is also essential to its successfulintegration into the natural environment. TheCouncil fully supports the approach set out inPAN44: Fitting New Development into theLandscape and the Scottish Government policystatement Designing Places, the principles ofwhich can be applied to most developments.

New developments shall incorporate proposals tomaintain the local diversity and distinctiveness oflandscape and townscape character. This includesnatural and built heritage features of landscapevalue such as woodland, hedges, ponds, stonewalls, and historic sites/features. Developmentshould also enhance landscape characteristicswhere they have been weakened and needimprovement. Particular consideration should begiven to the relationship of the proposeddevelopment to the surrounding buildings orlandscape. Landscaping using existing or new treeand hedge planting should be included indevelopment proposals to define the edges ofdevelopment, where appropriate. Developersshould also ensure that designs incorporate anyrequirements for sustainable urban drainagesystems (SUDs) at an early stage.

All land forming public open space must bemaintained by the developer (or factor on theirbehalf) or be conveyed to Fife Council for adoptionand maintenance on payment to the Council of alump sum equivalent to a minimum of 25 yearsmaintenance costs, where necessary by bindingagreement prior to the granting of planningpermission. The refurbishment or restoration of

landscape, recreation, and play areas may beneeded within this timescale and, whereappropriate, a capital sum will also be sought tocover these costs. On larger sites, a landscape bondwill be required as security for the adequateprovision of public open space. Open spacerequirements for housing developments arespecifically addressed in Policy E5.

It is also expected that privacy, amenity and safetywill be properly taken account of in the design ofnew development. Safety considerations includeboth road safety by, for example, providing forpedestrian and cycle use ,employing trafficcalming measures, restricting access toemployment uses through residential areas, andthe safety of the public from crime by layout andlandscape design which provides open anddefensible public space. The UK-wide policeinitiative Secured by Design gives guidance andsupports the principles of 'designing out crime'by use of effective crime prevention and securitystandards. PAN 77: Designing Safer Placeshighlights the positive role that planning can playin helping to create attractive, well-managedenvironments which help to discourage antisocialand criminal behaviour.

In addition, development must take full accountof the Fife Urban Design Guide Creating a BetterFife and, where appropriate, the Fife MasterplansHandbook.

POLICY E5 HOUSINGDEVELOPMENT AND OPEN SPACE

Policy E5

Housing Development and Open Space

Housing proposals and mixed usedevelopments of 10 houses or more orgreater than 0.5ha in area shall provide60m2 total open space per household.Provision of accessible and secureequipped play, sport and recreationalfacilities commensurate with the scale ofdevelopment is also required. Flexibilitymay be applied where there is planned



occupancy by single persons or the elderlyand, for small sites, town centre sites,brownfield sites and where sites areadjacent to existing public open space.

Developers will be required to ensure thatmaintenance arrangements andprocedures are established for public andcommon areas. All land forming publicopen space must be maintained by thedeveloper (or factor on their behalf) or beconveyed to Fife Council for adoption andmaintenance on payment to the Council ofa lump sum equivalent to a minimum of 25years’ maintenance costs. Therefurbishment or restoration of landscape,recreation and play areas may be neededwithin this timescale and, whereappropriate, a capital sum will also besought to cover these costs.

Reason

In determining open space requirements for newhousing developments, the needs of all age rangesshould be taken account of, and consideration willbe given to existing local provision, the need foropen space in the vicinity, and the type of facilitiesrequired. The level and type of facilities requiredwill vary with location, type of housing and marketsegment. As a minimum, 0.6 hectares of usableopen space will be required for every one hundredhouses proposed on greenfield sites. Smallerschemes will be assessed on a pro rata basis andfinancial contributions sought for provision, whereappropriate. Policies C4 and C5 deal withestablished areas of open space and seek toprevent its loss.

This requirement for public open space is currentlybased on the ‘six acre standard’ guidelinesprepared by the National Playing FieldsAssociation (now Fields in Trust). In November2007, the Scottish Government produced revisedplanning policy in SPP11: Open Space and PhysicalActivity. This requires local authorities to carry outan open space audit and prepare a strategy toguide the provision of new and improved openspace appropriate to local circumstances.

During the lifetime of this Local Plan, the Councilwill complete its ongoing work to prepare aGreenspace strategy. This work will inform newminimum standards for open space indevelopment.

Developers will be required to ensure thatmaintenance arrangements and procedures areestablished for public and common areas. All landforming public open space must be maintainedby the developer (or factor on their behalf) or beconveyed to Fife Council for adoption andmaintenance on payment to the Council of a lumpsum equivalent to a minimum of 25 years’maintenance costs. The refurbishment orrestoration of landscape, recreation and play areasmay be needed within this timescale and, whereappropriate, a capital sum will also be sought tocover these costs.

On larger sites, a landscape bond will be requiredas security for the adequate provision of publicopen space.

POLICY E6 CONTAMINATED LAND

Policy E6

Contaminated Land

Where development proposals involvesites where land instability or the presenceof contamination is suspected, thedeveloper will be required to:

a. where land instability risks orcontamination is known to be present,notify Fife Council of the appropriateremediation measures proposed torender the site fit for its intended use.

Where possible, remediation strategiesmust be agreed by Fife Council, inconjunction with SEPA and the CoalAuthority where appropriate, prior to thedetermination of any planning application.



Reason

Fife Council will work with Scottish EnvironmentProtection Agency, the Coal Authority, ScottishWater and other agencies, polluters andlandowners to prevent or reduce pollution fromknown contaminants. The Council seeks theremediation of land known to be contaminated,particularly where such land is proposed fordevelopment and to this end, has an approvedContaminated Land Inspection Strategy. The termsof PAN 33: Development of Contaminated Land –are also relevant.

POLICY E7 CONSERVATION AREAS

Policy E7

Conservation Areas

Development and demolition within aConservation Area, or affecting its setting,shall preserve or enhance its character andbe consistent with any relevantConservation Area appraisal ormanagement plan that may have beenprepared for the area.

The design, materials, scale and siting ofany development shall be appropriate tothe character of the Conservation Area andits setting. Trees that are considered by theplanning authority to have amenity valueshall be preserved. Given the importanceof assessing design matters, outlineplanning applications will not normally beconsidered appropriate for developmentsin Conservation Areas.

Where an existing building, listed or not,contributes positively to the character ofthe Conservation Area, Policy E9 ondemolition shall apply. Where it does not,proposals for demolition will not beconsidered in the absence of a detailedplanning application for a replacementdevelopment that enhances or preserves

that character. Demolition will not beginuntil evidence is given of contracts let forthe approved development.

Reason

Conservation Areas are areas of specialarchitectural or historic interest, the character ofwhich it is important to preserve or enhance.Changes to their character must be very carefullyconsidered if environmental quality is to bemaintained. Authenticity of detail and of overallapproach is of paramount importance. Proposalsthat fail to respect the unique character of theConservation Area within which they are locatedwill be unlikely to succeed in obtaining consent.

Progress with Conservation Area appraisals andmanagement plans will be reported through thebiennial Local Plan Action Programme.

POLICY E8 LISTED BUILDINGS

Policy E8

Listed Buildings

Development affecting a listed building,or its setting, shall preserve the building,or its setting, or any features of specialarchitectural or historic interest which itpossesses.

The layout, design, materials, scale, sitingand use of any development shall beappropriate to the character andappearance of the listed building and itssetting.

Reason

Buildings of special architectural or historic interestare listed by the Scottish Ministers and dividedinto categories A, B, or C(s). The purpose of listingis to ensure that any demolition, alteration, repairor extension that would affect the building’s



special interest is controlled. Listed buildings arepart of an important finite asset that should besafeguarded for present and future generations.

POLICY E9 DEMOLITION OF LISTEDBUILDINGS

Policy E9

Demolition of Listed Buildings

Proposals for the total or substantialdemolition of a listed building will only besupported where it is demonstratedbeyond reasonable doubt that every efforthas been exerted by all concerned to findpractical ways of keeping it. This will bedemonstrated by inclusion of evidence tothe planning authority that the building:

a. has been actively marketed at areasonable price and for a periodreflecting its location, condition andpossible viable uses without findinga purchaser; and

b. is incapable of physical repair andre-use through the submission andverification of a thorough structuralcondition report.

RCAHMS shall be formally notified of allproposals to demolish listed buildings toenable features to be recorded.

Reason

Listed buildings are part of an important finiteasset that should be safeguarded for present andfuture generations. The Royal Commission onAncient and Historic Monuments for Scotland(RCAHMS) shall be formally notified of all proposalsfor demolition of listed buildings to enablefeatures to be fully recorded.

POLICY E10 PROTECTION OFORCHARDS AND RIGGS

Policy E10

Protection of Orchards and Riggs

New development shall respect traditionalorchards and the historic linear pattern ofgarden riggs. Development that results inthe loss of traditional orchards and gardenrigg patterns will be resisted.

Reason

A number of settlements in Fife are characterisedby traditional orchards and garden riggs thatcontribute to local distinctiveness. These will beprotected from development which would resultin their loss.

POLICY E11 HISTORIC GARDENSAND DESIGNED LANDSCAPES

Policy E11

Historic Gardens and Designed Landscapes

Development affecting Historic Gardensand Designed Landscapes shall protect,preserve, and enhance such places andshall not impact adversely upon theircharacter, upon important views to, fromor within them, or upon the site or settingof component features which contributeto their value.

Reason

Historic Gardens and Designed Landscapesprovide the setting for historic buildings andenrich the diversity of the Fife landscape. A rangeof elements, either partial or complete, contributesto a sense of place and adds to communitywell-being.



The Inventory of Historic Gardens and DesignedLandscapes was compiled in 1987 by thepredecessor bodies of Historic Scotland andScottish Natural Heritage. This represented onlythe first count of obvious candidates for protectionand work on supplementary volumes is ongoing.There is currently no legislation to give statutoryprotection to historic gardens and designedlandscapes. However, the Inventory is recognisedformally within the planning system. Since 1992,planning authorities – under the terms of theGeneral Development Procedure Order (GDPO)(1992) – are required to consult Historic Scotlandand Scottish Natural Heritage on applications thataffect Inventory sites.

Inventory sites are designated on the basis of theirworks of art, historical, horticultural, architectural,scenic and nature conservation value, and theCouncil will protect them from any developmentthat would adversely affect their overall characterincluding their setting or any feature of value.Protection will also be given to non-InventoryHistoric Gardens and Designed Landscapesrecorded in Fife Council’s Sites and MonumentsRecord and to other sites pending their inclusionin the Inventory.

POLICY E12 ANCIENT MONUMENTSAND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

Policy E12

Ancient Monuments and ArchaeologicalSites

Scheduled Ancient Monuments and otheridentified nationally importantarchaeological resources shall bepreserved in situ, and with an appropriatesetting. Developments that have anadverse effect on scheduled monumentsor the integrity of their setting shall not bepermitted unless there are exceptionalcircumstances.

All other archaeological resources shall bepreserved in situ wherever feasible. Thesignificance of any impacts on

archaeological resources and their settingswill be weighed against other merits of thedevelopment proposals in thedetermination of planning applications.

The developer may be requested to supplya report of an archaeological evaluationprior to determination of the planningapplication. Where the case forpreservation does not prevail, thedeveloper shall be required to makeappropriate and satisfactory provision forarchaeological excavation, recording,analysis, and publication in advance ofdevelopment.

Where compatible with their preservation,proposals for the enhancement, promotionand interpretation of ancient monumentsand archaeological sites will be supported.

Reason

The Council has identified a number ofArchaeological Sites of Regional Importance in thePlan area, details of which are available from FifeCouncil’s Archaeologist. These are amongst themost important examples of their type in Fife, andthe Council will continue to oppose developmentthat would adversely affect them or their settings.The list identifies Scheduled Ancient Monumentsthat have been designated by the ScottishGovernment as being of national importance andare stringently protected by law. The Council willseek to enhance and secure the sensitivemanagement and, where appropriate,interpretation of sites and landscapes, and willcontinue to extend Fife’s database of our culturalheritage.



POLICY E13 STREET FURNITURE

Policy E13

Street Furniture

The design and location of street furnitureshould be appropriate to localcharacteristics and, where appropriate,should use materials, colours and styles inkeeping with the traditional character ofits setting, or with any existing streetfurniture which is being retained.

The application of innovative designsolutions will be supported. To raise andmaintain design standards throughoutFife, all development proposals mustcomply with the principles set out in theFife Urban Design Guide.

Reason

Street furniture such as telephone call boxes, lampstandards, refuse bins, public shelters, and postingboxes collectively influence the appearance ofurban streetscapes to a great degree. Most itemsof street furniture are installed by, or are theresponsibility of, local authorities and statutoryundertakers. The impact of poorly designed orlocated street furniture can be significant,however, especially in sensitive settings such asConservation Areas and close to listed buildings.Consequently, the Council will actively encourage,and expect close liaison with, those bodiesresponsible for street furniture to promote greatersensitivity in the siting and design of thesestructures. Consideration will also be given to therequirements of the Disability Discrimination Act1995 and 2005 in the siting of new street furnitureand Fife Council will examine its own areas ofresponsibility, with a view to using moresympathetic designs and materials (for items suchas litterbins) in locations where the higheststandards of design are required.

POLICY E14 PUBLIC ART

Policy E14

Public Art

The Council will seek the provision ofpublic art in development proposals. Forall major developments, and proposals onprominent sites the Council will seek acontribution of at least 1% of theconstruction cost for the provision ofpublic art as an integral part of the project.For all other applications, an appropriatecontribution will be discussed with thedeveloper.

Reason

The aim of this policy is to encourage the inclusionof publicly accessible art and design as part ofdevelopment proposals. Public art can bepermanent or temporary and may includedrawing, painting, sculpture, photography, light,sound and music, or live art.

Public art is integral to achieving high qualitydesign. Encouraging public art enhances theappearance of buildings and public spaces andpromotes a strong sense of place and communitypride. Public art refers to artists working along withlocal communities, as part of process of creatingnew spaces and buildings. The Council willencourage developers to involve artists from thestart of the planning and design process.

This policy supports a Fife Council wide approachto public art and is in line with national policy andadvice. Further guidance is included in theCouncil’s Urban Design Guide - Creating a BetterFife and the Fife Masterplans Handbook. Furthersupplementary guidance on Public Art will also beprepared during the lifetime of the Local Plan.

Major developments are those defined in the Townand Country Planning (Hierarchy of Developments)(Scotland) Regulations 2009 and Circular 5/2009– Hierarchy of Developments.



POLICY E15 DEVELOPMENT IN THECOUNTRYSIDE

Policy E15

Development in the Countryside

Development in the countryside will beonly supported where it:

a. is required for agricultural,horticultural, woodland or forestryoperations; or

b. is for new enterprises which eitherdiversify the above land-basedbusinesses to bring economic supportto the existing business or add localvalue by using the products of, orservicing, land-based businesses orother established countrysideactivities; or

c. diversify or add to the aboveland-based businesses to bringeconomic support to the existingbusiness or add local value by usingthe products of, or servicing,land-based businesses or otherestablished countryside activities; or

d. is for the extension of establishedbusinesses; or

e. provides for small scale employmentland adjacent to settlementboundaries, which contributes to theCouncil’s employment land supplyrequirements; or

f. is for facilities for access to thecountryside; or

g. is for facilities for outdoor recreationor tourism or other developmentwhich demonstrates a proven needfor a countryside location; or

h. is for housing (as supported by PolicyE16);

and is of a scale and nature compatiblewith surrounding uses; is well-located inrespect of available infrastructure andcontributes to the need for any improved

infrastructure; will result in an overallenhancement to the landscape andenvironmental quality of an area; providesemployment for local people or supportslocal services and that equivalentalternative capacity does not exist withinthe local area (or settlement boundary).

Reason

The countryside is defined as the area outwith thetown and village envelopes and green belt shownon the Proposals Map.

SPP 15 : Planning for Rural Development,highlights the need to be aware of the increaseddemand for new types of development in ruralareas. A proactive approach needs to be taken toenable new development, including small-scalehousing and business opportunities, to take placein appropriate locations.

One of the objectives of the Plan Strategy is toprotect the countryside from unplanneddevelopment. However, it is recognised that thereare activities which require a countryside locationor which are important contributors to thediversification of farms into new enterprises inorder to survive as viable businesses. Small scaleemployment sites adjacent to settlementboundaries which serve to maintain the Council’semployment land supply requirements (monitoredthrough Fife Council’s Employment Land Audit)and which meet the criteria set out in the policywill also be supported.

The protection and enhancement of the built,natural and historic qualities of the countrysideare important considerations and these attributesmust be maintained and enhanced whereverpossible. There are a range of policies whichprotect these valued environments and wheredevelopment will not be permitted if there maybe adverse environmental impacts which cannotbe mitigated. Policy E19 (Special Landscape Areas)and the Fife Landscape Character Assessment willbe important considerations in the determinationof planning applications.



POLICY E16 HOUSINGDEVELOPMENT IN THECOUNTRYSIDE

Policy E16

Housing Development in the Countryside

The development of housing in thecountryside will only be permitted whereit:

a. is required for the operational needsof an agricultural, horticultural,woodland, forestry or other businesssupported by Policy E15 and will belocated as an integral part of thebusiness; or

b. is for affordable housing of modest,limited scale which meets anidentified need; or

c. is for a site within an established andclearly defined cluster of dwellings of5 houses or more; or

d. is for the renovation of a substantiallycomplete building (i.e. external wallsare complete and sound to wallheadlevel) last used as a house; or

e. provides for the rehabilitation and/orconversion of complete orsubstantially complete existingbuildings of traditional long lifeconstruction (but excluding proposalsinvolving substantialdemolition/rebuilding); or

f. is for the demolition and replacementof a house: -

(i) which cannot otherwise be brought upto modern standards at a reasonable cost;or

(ii) where the replacement would be ofexemplary siting and design resulting inan overall enhancement to the landscapeand environmental quality of the area; or

g) secures the development of a derelictsite with ruinous buildings where thiswould result in an overriding benefit interms of visual and environmentalimprovement.

Note: this policy does not apply in landdesignated as green belt.

Reason

In SPP3: Planning for Housing the ScottishGovernment has sought to discourage isolateddevelopment in the countryside merited byparticular circumstances. Housing developmentin the countryside could result in the gradualerosion of the rural landscape, its character andqualities. SPP15: Planning for Rural Developmenthighlights that, through supporting policies,demand for new housing in the countryside canstill be met in a way which can bring social,environmental and economic benefits. Thereplacement of housing of poor design andcondition and change of use of a range ofredundant rural buildings can help to support ruralbusinesses and maintain vibrant communities.Policy E19 (Special Landscape Areas) and the FifeLandscape Character Assessment will be importantconsiderations in the determination of planningapplications.

The delivery of affordable housing developmentin rural areas may require development in thecountryside to meet local housing needs andprovide for development of a modest scale whichmeets rural needs and is of a scale of developmentsuited to its rural setting. In such circumstancesand subject to Policies H2 and E16, developmentfor affordable housing may be supported. PolicyH2 and Fife Council Supplementary Guidance onAffordable Housing give detailed guidance onoverall requirements and site thresholds. Together,these policies allow for some flexibility in meetingaffordable housing needs in rural areas in line withnational policy.



Where a new house is proposed as part of abusiness, the business must be operational for atleast 2 years and must be capable of providing thewhole or main source of livelihood for theoccupant.

The Council will complete its ongoing work toprepare supplementary planning guidance tosupport this policy.

POLICY E17 GREEN BELT

Policy E17

Green Belt

Development in the green belt is requiredto conform to national and strategicplanning policies as defined in SPP21:Green Belts and the Fife Structure Plan.The development constraints set by thesepolicies will apply, except at the followinglocations:

St Andrews

Craigtoun Country Park – forsmall-scale, commercial leisuredevelopment complementing existinguse and linked to the upgrading of thepark;Old Course Hotel – for developmentancillary to the hotel;St Andrews Links complex – fordevelopment ancillary to the seven StAndrews Links Trust golf courses andclubhouses.

In all cases, development must:

be of a scale and nature compatiblewith surrounding uses;maintain the setting and the key viewsto and from the historic core of thetown;result in an overall enhancement tothe landscape and environmentalquality of the green belt;

improve local infrastructure (whichmay include improving opportunitiesfor public access between the townand the countryside by linking greenspaces);create new development of exemplarydesign; andin the case of redevelopment, bewithin existing developmentenvelopes.

This policy will apply to any existinggreenbelt or those identified and adoptedwithin the lifetime of this Local Plan.

Reason

National policy permits development withindesignated green belt in certain circumstances.These are identified in SPP21: Green Belts and inFife Structure Plan Policy ENV1 (Green Belts for StAndrews and Dunfermline). National policy alsoallows for non-conforming uses to be identifiedthrough the Development Plan. Policy E17specifies those locations and types of use that willbe supported as acceptable non-conforming useswithin the St Andrews green belt in order tosupport the continued operation and appropriatedevelopment of established businesses and leisureor visitor facilities.

Applications for development which do notconform to the Development Plan, including thispolicy, shall be subject to the notificationarrangements set out in Scottish Office Circular4/1997: Notification of Planning Applicationsleading to a referral to the Scottish Government.

The development of land within theinnerboundary, and shown for future developmentbeyond the Local Plan period, will take place onlyas it is released in accordance with phasing to beidentified in future Local Plan reviews. A key to thesuccess of the green belt will be proactive worktowards environment enhancement and improvedpublic access opportunities. Development withinor adjacent to the green belt will be required toaddress these requirements as part of theirproposals.



A major consideration will be maintaining thelandscape setting of the town, including its scenicquality and those areas which are valued for theirhistoric, recreational, or ecological interest. It isalso expected that the overall landscape attributeswill be enhanced, including throughimprovements to derelict or vacant sites, reuse ofbuildings of architectural or historic merit,exemplary built and landscape development andlinkage of green spaces.

POLICY E18 PROTECTION OFAGRICULTURAL LAND

Policy E18

Protection of Agricultural Land

Irreversible development of primeagricultural land will be supported only ifthere are overriding national or localcircumstances, or if the land is zoned fordevelopment in the Local Plan.

Reason

Despite recent changes in agriculture and thetrend toward farm diversification, there is still aneed to protect prime quality agricultural land asa long-term national resource. Prime quality landis that which falls into Classes 1, 2, and 3.1 asdefined by the Macaulay Land Use ResearchInstitute and is the most productive agriculturalland.

POLICY E19 SPECIAL LANDSCAPEAREAS

Policy E19

Special Landscape Areas

Development proposed within an SpecialLandscape Area or outwith the boundarybut which may impact upon the designatedarea, will only be permitted where it hasno significant adverse affect on the

identified landscape qualities of the areaand/or its overall landscape integrity andsetting. Proposals must demonstrate,through form, scale, layout, detailing,siting, design, materials, and landscaping,how the development will contribute tothe preservation, restoration, orenhancement of the Special LandscapeArea and its associated landscape qualities.

Reason

Guidance on Local Landscape Designationspublished byScottish Natural Heritage/HistoricScotland (2004) recommends designating locallyimportant landscapes as part of a Scotland-wide‘all landscapes’ approach. This advice sets out arefreshed approach to assessing and evaluatinglandscape character and qualities.

In Fife, AGLVs have been reviewed in preparingthis Local Plan and replaced by Special LandscapeAreas as advocated in Scottish Planning Policy(2009). This review has enabled a more robustpolicy approach to be formulated for bothlandscape designations and the wider landscape.The Special Landscape Areas are identified on theProposals Map.

POLICY E20 WATERCOURSES ANDWETLANDS

Policy E20

Watercourses and Wetlands

Development will not be permitted whereit would have an adverse affect, eitherdirectly or indirectly, on the ecologicalstatus of watercourses or wetlands or thequality of groundwater.

Reason

Rivers, burns, wetlands, marshes, lochs and pondsare a focus for wildlife and native woodland. Theyare usually a scenic asset, and are often a



recreational resource. The Fife Local BiodiversityAction Plan, together with the policies andproposals in the Local Plan, provides the basisupon which the Council will seek to protect thesenatural assets. Development that may result inpollution, erosion, channeling, major culverting,the loss of habitat, or any other detriment to theamenity of the watercourse will not be supported.It should also be ensured that development doesnot compromise the objectives of the Forth AreaManagement Plan (Draft) 2005-2015.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency(SEPA), in partnership with Fife Council andScottish Water, has responsibility for controllingthe quality of run-off into open watercourses.PAN61: Planning and Sustainable Urban DrainageSystems details the role of the different agenciesand gives good practice advice. Furtherinformation on ecological status and theimplications of the Water Framework Directivemay be obtained from SEPA. In all development,regard should be had to the terms of Policies I3,I4 and I5.

POLICY E21 EUROPEAN PROTECTEDSPECIES

Policy E21

European Protected Species

Development that will have a significantadverse affect on European ProtectedSpecies will not be permitted unless thedeveloper shows that:

(a) the proposed development is in theinterests of preserving public health orpublic safety or other imperative reasonsof overriding public interest, includingthose of a social or economic nature andbeneficial consequences of primaryimportance for the environment; and

(b) there is no satisfactory alternative; and

(c) the proposed development will not bedetrimental to the maintenance of thepopulation of the European protectedspecies concerned at favourableconservation status in their natural range.

Where a proposed development is likelyto affect European protected species thedeveloper must submit a survey of thestatus of that species at the site. If present,an assessment must identify what impactthe development will have on theprotected species and a detailed methodstatement provided of all the mitigationwork that is proposed in relation to theEuropean protected species. This will berequired before planning permission canbe granted.

Reason

A number of species identified as EuropeanProtected Species (EPS) are protected by theConservation (Natural Habitats etc.) Regulations1994 (as amended in 2007) which implements theEuropean Habitats and Birds Directives; thisprovides a more stringent regime for theprotection of species than that found in nationallegislation.

Developers must be aware of the importance ofidentifying whether or not European ProtectedSpecies are found on or near development sites.If activity, including development, is likely to havean adverse affect on a EPS a licence (issued by theScottish Government) is usually required to carryout work.

The Council, therefore, has a key role relating toEuropean Protected Species as it must not givepermission for any development which cannot,subsequently, meet the requirements for a licence.If a development will have an adverse affect on aEuropean Protected Species the three testsnecessary for the granting of a licence [points(a)-(c), in the policy text] must be satisfied.



POLICY E22 LOCAL BIODIVERSITYAND GEODIVERSITY SITES

Policy E22

Biodiversity and Geodiversity Sites

Development that may affect a LocalBiodiversity Site or Local Geodiversity Sitewill not be permitted unless the developersubmits an appraisal which demonstratesthat:

(a) the overall ecological integrity of thesite will not be compromised; or

(b) any significant adverse affects on thesite are clearly outweighed by social oreconomic benefits of significant localimportance.

Where development will adversely affectthe Site, the developer's appraisal mustidentify:

how any anticipated damage will beminimised or mitigated, includingreplacement habitat for any lossesincurred; andproposals for the conservation,protection, enhancement and futuremanagement of the natural heritageinterest of the Site.

Where appropriate, planning conditionsand agreements will be used to ensurethese proposals are achieved.

Reason

Fife has many sites that are important for wildlife,geology and the natural processes that shape thelandscape. Some of these sites are of internationalimportance and are known as Natura and Ramsarsites. Others, known as Sites of Special ScientificInterest and National Nature Reserves areimportant in a Scottish context. EuropeanDirectives and national legislation protect the

natural heritage of these areas. Planning policiesto protect these sites from damaging developmentare included in the Fife Structure Plan 2006-26.

Many more sites in Fife are locally importantfortheir natural heritage interest. They are valuable,individually and in combination with other sites,and their number and diversity provides animportant network of habitats. It is essential thatthese sites are not lost entirely or damaged to suchan extent that they become isolated and no longerprovide a link in the network or cannot remain asviable refuges. This policy aims to protect Fife’slocally importantsites from damagingdevelopment. The Nature Conservation (Scotland)Act 2004 places a duty on the Council to protectand enhance these sites.

These sites are known in Fife by several names:

Listed Wildlife Sites;Sites of Importance for Nature ConservationScottish Wildlife Trust Reserves;Local Nature Reserves;Regionally Important Geological andGeomorphological Sites.

The Council now has the role of establishing andmanaging a new system of local natureconservation sites and such sites will now beknown as Local Biodiversity Sites and LocalGeodiversity Sites.

Further information on these local sites is availablefrom the Take a Pride in Fife EnvironmentalInformation Centre (TAPIF-EIC).

POLICY E23 PROTECTION OFBIODIVERSITY

Policy E23

Protection of Biodiversity

Development that may affect national andlocal priority habitats or species, asidentified in the Scottish Biodiversity List



or Fife Local Biodiversity Action Plan, willnot be permitted unless the developersubmits an appraisal showing that:

(a) there will be no adverse affect on thehabitats or species; or

(b) any significant adverse affect on thehabitats or species is clearly outweighedby social or economic benefits ofsignificant local importance.

Where development adversely affects thehabitats or species, the developer'sappraisal must show:

how the damage will be minimisedand mitigated, including, whereappropriate, replacement habitat forany losses incurred; andproposals for the conservation,protection, enhancement and futuremanagement of habitats and species(biodiversity). These must ensure thatthere is net benefit to biodiversitywithin the development site and alsoin habitat linkages to the site asappropriate. Particular regard shouldbe given to priority habitats andspecies of conservation concernidentified within the Fife LocalBiodiversity Action Plan.

Where appropriate, planning conditionsand agreements will be used to ensurethese proposals are achieved.

All development should contribute tooverall environmental enhancement bytaking into account benefits to biodiversity(see Policy E3 Development Quality –Environmental Impact)

Reason

This policy aims to protect priority habitats andspecies across all of Fife some of which may notfall within the protection afforded by designatedsites. Without care, poorly sited and designeddevelopment can affect and lead to the loss of

species and habitats at any location. To achieveoverall benefits for biodiversity it is important toensure the protection and enhancement of thewider Fife environment wherever development isproposed thus complementing the site protectionsystem, which is at the centre of the biodiversityconservation process, and supporting the regardfor landscape features of value to flora and faunaunder the Habitats Regulations (Regulation 37).

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (asamended) and the Protection of Badgers Act 1992give specific protection to a range of species. TheNature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 extendedthe scope of this protection by placing a duty onlocal authorities to further the conservation ofbiodiversity in undertaking their functions and inso doing to have regard to the Scottish BiodiversityStrategy (Scottish Executive, 2004).The ScottishBiodiversity List (2005) was prepared in supportof these requirements. It lists the flora, fauna andhabitats considered by the Scottish Ministers tobe of principal importance for furthering theconservation of biodiversity.

The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy has a keyobjective of halting the loss of biodiversity andcontinuing to reverse previous losses throughtargeted actions for species and habitats. The FifeLocal Biodiversity Action Plan 2003-2006 includesa series of actions to protect habitats and speciesand is the local means of meeting the objective ofthe Scottish Strategy whilst also taking forwardaction local to Fife. The Fife LBAP is currently beingreviewed along with draft species and habitataction plans.

Further information on species and habitats in Fifeis available from the Take a Pride in FifeEnvironmental Information Centre (TAPIF – EIC).



POLICY E24 TREE PRESERVATIONORDERS

Policy E24

Tree Preservation Orders

Tree Preservation Orders will bedesignated where a tree or group of treeshas an important amenity value,particularly where under possible threat.Support will not be given for works to atree or woodland protected by a TreePreservation Order unless it isdemonstrated that:

a. the health and appearance of the treewill not be impaired and

the works are necessary for itscontinued retention and consistentwith good arboricultural practice; orin the case of a woodland, theproposed works are consistent withthe principles of sound woodlandmanagement and good arboriculturalpractice;

or

b. the tree is dead, diseased ordangerous, in which case felling maybe necessary.

Where felling is necessary under the termsof this policy, appropriate replacementplanting will be required.

Reason

The Council cannot provide protection to all treesand woodlands. It can, however, designate TreePreservation Orders, control the felling of trees fordevelopment, and enter into agreements withowners of trees and woodlands to encourageproper management and public access. TreePreservation Orders provide protection in law forsignificant trees. In assessing the value of a tree orgroup of trees, the Council will consider the

aesthetic, recreational and wildlife value, the rarity,and the value as an example of a particular species.Trees in Conservation Areas are given similarprotection to those protected under a TreePreservation Order.

POLICY E25 TREES ONDEVELOPMENT SITES

Policy E25

Trees on Development Sites

Where development is proposed on a sitewhere trees are present, consideration willbe given to whether, and in what form,development should be supported, havingregard to the desirability of retaining andprotecting mature and semi-mature trees,and other examples likely to becomeattractive in amenity terms, or of a rarespecies. Trees, woodlands, and hedgerowsthat have a landscape, amenity and/ornature conservation value will be protectedfrom development.

When submitting a proposal fordevelopment for a site where trees arepresent, the developer shall be requiredto:

(a) submit a comprehensive tree survey;

b. identify on site any affected trees; andc. submit for agreement a programme

of works, details of tree protection andlandscaping proposals, including anyappropriate tree planting.

Reason

Throughout the Plan area, trees and woodlandssupport wildlife, provide a diversity of habitats,enhance the amenity of the countryside and builtenvironment and improve air quality. They alsoprovide an important contribution towardsrecreation and tourism. Their protection andmanagement is an important objective of this



Local Plan, particularly where they have beenidentified by the Inventory of Ancient,Long-Established, and Semi-Natural Woodland.

The Council recognises that trees and woodlandswill require sound management which oftenrequires work to the trees themselves. All tree workmust comply with BS 3998: 1991 -Recommendations for Tree Work. This will ensurebest practice. Tree felling may also require a FellingLicence which requires replanting irrespective ofthe presence of Tree Preservation Orders (detailedguidance is given in “Tree Felling and Permissions”available from the Forestry Commission). Work topreserve trees solely for reasons of residentialamenity will not generally be supported. PoliciesE24 and E25 will also apply to the protection ofstreet trees, particularly where affected byduct-laying operators. Considerable damage canbe caused to trees by the installation of utilities.Work should be carried out in accordance with theguidance set out by the National Joint UtilitiesGroup Publication 10 - Guidelines for the Planning,Installation and Maintenance of Utility Services inProximity to Trees, April 1995.

POLICY E26 NEW TREE PLANTING

Policy E26

New Tree Planting

New on-site tree planting will be sought asan integral part of new development.Planning agreements will be used toachieve off-site or other additional treeplanting and partnerships encouraged tosecure tree planting and sustainablewoodlands.

Reason

Where trees have to be felled as an element of sitedevelopment, or are affected by development, itis essential that this is professionally overseen.Replacement planting will be specified tocompensate for the loss of any trees. Works shouldbe carried out in accordance with the guidanceset out by the National Joint Utilities Group and

BS5837: 1991 - Trees in Relation to Construction.There are frequent concerns that trees, particularlywhen they become mature, will fall on adjacentproperty. Detailed consideration of therelationships between existing trees and newdevelopment is needed and professionalarboricultural advice must be sought to ascertainpotential conflicts. The choice of species for newplanting in relation to existing buildings, andwithin and around development sites, should beinfluenced by the physical and technicalrestrictions posed by the site. Planting should seekto relate to existing features and build on locallandscape character as identified by the FifeLandscape Character Assessment. Native speciesshould be encouraged wherever appropriate.Works should be carried out in accordance withthe detailed recommendations in BS5837: 1991 -Trees in Relation to Construction.

Development on sites adjacent to woodland canaffect drainage patterns not just through thedevelopment site but also through the woodland.To avoid potential damage to the woodlandresource, developers will be held responsible forensuring that drainage from their site is effectivelyprevented from entering the adjoining woodland.

POLICY E27 THE COAST

Policy E27

The Coast

Development on the undeveloped coastwill not be supported unless it can bedemonstrated that:

a. there is a proven need for a coastallocation;

b. the proposal avoids the use ofgreenfield sites and can reuse vacantland

c. the proposal demonstrates highstandards of design and siting

d. the proposal does not contribute toor is at risk of coastal erosion;

e. the proposal is not subject to nor willit contribute to flood risk;



f. the proposal safeguards cultural andnatural heritage resources

g. the proposal does not prejudice thefootpath and/or cycle network; and

h. the proposal does not result in thecoalescence of coastal villages.

Development which is proven to require acoastal location or which contributes tothe economic regeneration of coastalsettlements should be located on thedeveloped coast in the first instance.

Reason

The Fife coast has a varied and distinctive naturewith a role to play in the Fife economy and will beprotected from unnecessary and unsympatheticdevelopments. Provision will be made fordevelopment that requires a coastal location,reuses brownfield land or contributes to the localeconomy. The coastal zone, the land related toand influenced by the coast, includes land up to0.25km inland from Mean High Water Springs thecoastal landscapes defined in the Fife LandscapeCharacter Assessment and coastal habitats.

The developed coast has been defined assettlements with a population greater than 2,000and where there is existing large-scaledevelopment for industry, tourism and recreationoutwith settlement limits. To maintain andenhance the high quality of the coastline,development that does not require a coastallocation will be resisted. Development that, foroperational reasons, requires a coastal location,e.g. boatyards, water-based sports, will in the firstinstance be directed to the developed coast.

The undeveloped coast includes agriculture andforestry land, low intensity recreational uses andsmaller settlements which depend on the coastfor their livelihood. Development on theundeveloped coast should only be consideredwhere there are no feasible alternative sites withinsettlements or on previously developed land andwhere the proposal can be expected to yield social

and economic benefits which outweigh anypotentially detrimental impact on the coastalenvironment.

Development proposals will require to provide afull and robust justification for their coastallocation.

POLICY E28 LANDFILL

Policy E28

Landfill

Proposals for new landfill sites will not besupported.

Proposals for the improvement orrestoration of land by the deposit of wastewill only be supported where the purposeis for:

a. agricultural land improvement wherea significant improvement in theagricultural land classification gradewill be achieved; or

b. land restoration as part of aregeneration project or programme.

Applicants will be required to demonstratethat the improvement is essential for theuse of the land and cannot be achieved byother measures. Applicants will also berequired to demonstrate that the proposalwill not compromise the objectives of theNational Waste Strategy for Scotland,National Waste Plan and Area Waste Plan;and will not have a detrimental impact onground or surface water resources.

Reason

There may be circumstances where disposal ofinert waste to land may be justified as part of landreclamation for either agricultural landimprovement or as part of a regeneration projector programme. This would be acceptable wherethere is a genuine need for this to be achieved.



There will need to be specific justification for thetipping of waste as the only method of returningland to effective use.

POLICY E29 WASTE MANAGEMENTSITES

Policy E29

Waste Management Sites

Existing waste management sites (and siteswith extant consents), as identified on theProposals Map, will be safeguarded forfuture waste management use andprotected from development which mayprejudice their existing or future use forwaste management. Where appropriate,sites will be safeguarded for expansion, inkeeping with the requirements of the FifeArea Waste Plan.

Proposals for new waste managementfacilities located within or immediatelyadjacent to existing waste managementfacilities, on brownfield or previouslycontaminated land, will be supportedwhere they are accompanied by anassessment demonstrating that thefollowing issues have been addressed:

(a) proximity to the sources of waste, thebest practicable environmental option andminimisation of the transport of waste,particularly by road;

(b) the impact of emissions, odour andnoise on the environment andcommunities;

(c) the requirements of the National WasteStrategy for Scotland, National Waste Planand Area Waste Plan;

d) the impact on ground or surface waterresources.

Reason

Proposals for waste management facilities will beassessed against the principles of the NationalWaste Strategy, National Waste Plan and the AreaWaste Plan for Fife. The Area Waste Plan providesa framework for the development of wastemanagement facilities to meet landfill diversiontargets. Proposals for new waste managementfacilities should therefore be accompanied by anenvironmental statement that demonstrates thatthose principles outlined in the Area Waste Plan,and other issues arising, have been addressed.

Proposals for new waste management facilitiesare likely to be acceptable in general industrialareas provided that the proposed site is not in aprominent location or a prime site for industrialdevelopment. Such locations are likely to be themost appropriate due to being less likely to conflictwith the surrounding land uses, while suchlocations tend to benefit from good access androad links. Where appropriate, cycle, andpedestrian access will be permitted to wastemanagement facilities subject to overriding healthand safety legislation and guidance.

In considering proposals for any type of newdevelopment the Council will also take intoaccount the extent to which they effectivelymanage and promote the reduction, reuse,recycling and recovery of waste during theconstruction and operation of the developmentincluding any measures for waste separation andcollection at source.

POLICY C1 COMMUNITY ANDLEISURE FACILITIES

Policy C1

Community and Leisure Facilities

The development of community andleisure facilities will be supported where:

a. they will satisfy an identified demandfor the facility; or



b. they are located within anedge-of-centre or neighbourhoodcentre or edge-of-town centre and itcan be demonstrated that no suitablesites or premises exist within a townand local centre;

and they:

do not on their own or cumulativelyadversely affect the vitality andviability of town and local centres;are easily accessible by and can beserved by a choice of means oftransport during their hours ofoperation; andare compatible with neighbouringuses.

Reason

At a time of limited financial resources, FifeCouncil’s programme of proposals for communityand leisure facilities is restricted, and unlikely tomeet the full range of demands. Considerableemphasis is therefore placed on attracting nationalagencies and private enterprise to contribute tomeeting future needs in the Plan area. Fife Councilwill seek to take advantage of grants to improverecreational provision, and encourage landownersand local groups to do likewise.

This policy confirms the applicability of thesequential approach, particularly for indoorfacilities. Outdoor Class 11 uses within built-upareas tend not to be located in, or be appropriatefor, town centres. Suitable proposals could belinked with open space, educational, or ‘greencorridor’ land, subject to the Local Plan policyposition relevant to these areas.

POLICY C2 SPORTS FACILITIESWITHIN SETTLEMENTS

Policy C2

Sports Facilities Within Settlements

New sports facilities within settlementswill be supported in principle where theyare compatible with adjacent land uses.

Development which would result in theloss of existing sports facilities will not bepermitted except where one of thefollowing circumstances apply: -

(a) the proposed development is ancillaryto the principle use of the site;

(b) the proposed development involves aminor part of the sports facility whichwould not affect its use and potential forsport and training;

(c) the sports facility that would be lost asa result of the proposed developmentwould be replaced by:-

i) a new sports facility of a comparable orgreater benefit for sport and in a locationthat is convenient for its users; or

ii) the upgrading of an existing sportsfacility to provide a better quality facility,either within the same site or at anotherlocation that is convenient for its users andthat maintains or improves the overallplaying capacity in the area.

(d) it can be demonstrated that there is aclear excess of sports facilities to meet thecurrent and anticipated future demand inthe area and that the site in question couldbe developed without detriment to theoverall quality of provision.



Reason

Sport and physical recreation are recognised asbeing key elements in maintaining a healthylifestyle. The provision of such facilities cancontribute to the health and well being of thecommunity and enhanced quality of life. Tosupport town centres such facilities should ideallybe placed here, thereafter the sequential approachapplies. Sportscotland will be consulted on anyplanning application for development that is likelyto prejudice or lead to the loss of land used as asports facility or playing field.

Whilst not an exhaustive list, sports facilitiesinclude sports pitches and playing fields, athletictracks, golf courses, bowling greens and tenniscourts.

POLICY C3 SPORTS ANDRECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN THECOUNTRYSIDE

Policy C3

Sports and Recreational Facilities in theCountryside

Proposals for the provision of formal sportsand recreational facilities in thecountryside will be assessed against thefollowing criteria:

a. the proposal must be of a scale, natureand design appropriate to its setting;

b. it must not have a material adverseimpact on landscape, natureconservation or archaeologicalinterests;

c. the traffic generated must not have amaterial adverse impact on landscape,nature conservation or archaeologicalinterests;

d. there is a locational justification forthe development;

e. the proposal would not compromisepublic safety in the locality;

f. the developer has demonstrated thatthe use/re-use of vacant or derelictland and buildings and landpreviously affected by mineraldevelopment or forestry schemes hasbeen first considered; and

g. if relevant, must be consistent withPolicy E17 (Green Belt).

Reason

The countryside may have potential toaccommodate a range of formal sports andrecreational facilities. These can range from golfcourses and driving ranges to more noisy andpotentially intrusive sports facilities such as thosefor water/jet skiing, motor sports, clay targetshooting, flying and paintball/war games. Activitiessuch as these can introduce a level of use that maybe alien to the surrounding area. Careful attentionmust therefore be given to ensuring that uses suchas these can be accommodated on sites where thepotential risk of damage or disturbance can bemanaged within an acceptable level. The re-useof previously developed sites should therefore beconsidered. Attention will be given to the detailedguidance contained in SPP 11 : Open Space andPhysical Activity when dealing with individualapplications.

POLICY C4 OPEN SPACE ANDURBAN PARK

Policy C4

Open Space and Urban Park

Existing or proposed open spaces which areidentified on the Proposals Map, or otherswhich serve a valuable amenity, wildlife, orrecreational purpose, will be protected fromdevelopment.



Reason

Open space is both a major urban land use and anessential part of the townscape. It provides landfor leisure, play, and relaxation through parks,playing fields and children’s play areas. It can actas an amenity buffer between developments andbetween housing and traffic. In built-up settings,open space can provide an attractive landscapedbackcloth and allow views of surroundingbuildings, and its enhancement can help towardsachieving the objectives of the Fife LocalBiodiversity Action Plan. Given the importance ofamenity and recreational open space, existingareas will be safeguarded. Development ancillaryto the use of land as open space will be consideredacceptable. This includes provision of changingfacilities and extensions to existing facilities. TheProposals Map shows the main parks, playing fieldsand amenity space in each community. Other,smaller areas of public open space will also beprotected where they serve a valuable amenity orrecreational purpose.

It should also be noted that during the lifetime ofthis Local Plan, the Council will complete itsongoing work to prepare a Greenspace Strategy.This work will inform new minimum standards foropen space provision in settlements.

POLICY C5 PUBLIC OPEN SPACE

Policy C5

Public Open Space

The change of use of public open space toprivate garden ground will not besupported, where it results in any of thefollowing:

(a) a loss of visual amenity; or

(b) a reduction in the amount of spaceavailable for recreational purposes; or

(c) a reduction in open space which hasamenity value; or

(d) the creation of difficulties inmaintaining the remaining open space; or

(e) a detrimental impact upon theecological or nature conservation interestand integrity of the open space.

Where the area affected contains trees,these should be retained.

Reason

The incremental loss of small amounts of openspace, often in areas which may be less well-usedor poorly maintained, can individually orcollectively lead to significant reductions in openspace which are to the detriment of local amenity.Commonly, such losses are as a result of changesof use or a reduction in the ease and efficiencywith which the remaining open space can bemaintained. Such changes of use will be resistedwhere any of these impacts are likely to occur.

Where open space is provided as part of a privatedevelopment, developers will be required toensure that maintenance arrangements andprocedures are established for public and commonareas. All land forming public open space must bemaintained by the developer (or factor on theirbehalf) or be conveyed to Fife Council for adoptionand maintenance on payment to the Council of alump sum equivalent to a minimum of 25 years’maintenance costs. The refurbishment orrestoration of landscape, recreation and play areasmay be needed within this timescale and, whereappropriate, a capital sum will also be sought tocover these costs.

On larger sites, a landscape bond will be requiredas security for the adequate provision of publicopen space.

In determining open space requirements forhousing developments, consideration will be givento the existing localised provision, the need foropen space in the vicinity, and the type of facilitiesrequired. Developers should have regard to openspace standards as outlined in Policy E5.



POLICY C6 ALLOTMENTS

Policy C6

Allotments

The provision of new allotments will besupported for all major developments.

The change of use of allotments to otherpurposes will not be supported where theallotments remain in use or there is ademonstrable demand for their use, unlessappropriate alternative provision is made.

Reason

Alternative uses will not be supported which resultin the loss of allotments that are still beingcultivated or there is a local demand that could bemet by the site. During the lifetime of this LocalPlan, the Council will complete its ongoing workto prepare an allotments strategy, which willinform new minimum standards for allotmentprovision. This work has been considered withinthe wider context of Fife Council’s emerging FifeGreenspace Strategy and SPP11.

Some Settlement Plans identify developmentrequirements for allotments in majordevelopments. These requirements will requirethe scale and nature of the allotments to be agreedwith the Council. Major developments are thosedefined in the Town and Country Planning(Hierarchy of Developments) (Scotland)Regulations 2009 and Circular 5/2009 – Hierarchyof Developments.

POLICY C7 SCHOOL AND FURTHEREDUCATION ESTABLISHMENTGROUND

Policy C7

School and Further EducationEstablishment Ground

School and further educationestablishment grounds will be protectedfrom non-educational development notrelated to the educational use of the site.

Reason

School grounds make a significant contributionto the provision of recreational open space. Anumber of schools are also designated asCommunity Schools and their grounds areavailable for wider use. Fife’s Grounds for Learningscheme supports the creation of wildlife areas andenvironmental improvements within schoolgrounds as part of the school curriculum. TheProposals Map identifies boundaries of primaryand secondary schools, and the development ofschool grounds for non-education purposes willbe resisted unless it can be demonstrated thatthey will not be required in future by the schoolor wider community. This policy will also beapplied to further education establishments.

POLICY C8FOOTPATHS/CYCLEWAYS/BRIDLEWAYS

Policy C8

Footpaths/Cycleways/Bridleways

Existing rights of way and establishedfootpaths, cycleways, and bridleways willbe safeguarded and kept open and freefrom obstruction. Where developmentaffecting such routes is deemedappropriate, suitable re-routing must beprovided before the development



commences, or before the existing routeis removed from use. The Council will seekto maintain and extend the network, whereappropriate, for multi-use includingwalkers, cyclists, horse riders and pathsaccessible to people of all abilities, byestablishing a Core Path Network, and willsupport new development that contributesto this end.

Reason

There are many paths in the towns, villages andcountryside that provide important connectionsand recreational routes. The Council recognisesthe value of these paths as safe, convenient andattractive facilities for walkers, cyclists and horseriders. It continuously seeks to identify andsignpost established paths in consultation withlandowners. As funds permit, a programme ofupgrading works will be undertaken to improvethe path network. Location plans indicating knownroutes are available for inspection at DevelopmentServices offices, and from the Countryside RangerService. Fife Council is also preparing a Core PathPlan for Fife as required under the Land Reform(Scotland) Act 2003, which will identify core pathsfor walking, cycling, horse riding and use by thedisabled across Fife.

POLICY T1 THE TRANSPORTNETWORK

Policy T1

The Transport Network

New development must:

a. be accessible to, or able to be madeaccessible to, the existing or plannedpublic transport network;

b. be located where road networkcapacity is or can be made available,but only after access by other moresustainable modes has beenmaximised and there is no creation orworsening of a road safety problem;

c. provide for safe and convenient cycleand pedestrian access orthrough-routes;

d. provide for, and do not prejudiceexisting, safer routes to schools andfurther education sites;

e. provide for secure and convenientcycle parking;

f. provide for the protection andintegration of existing routes;

g. provide for safe routes to stations andmajor public transportationinterchanges; and

h. provide multiple points of access withthe surrounding public road network.

Reason

Developers must make adequate provision forpedestrian and cycle movement in proposedschemes, commensurate with the scale of thedevelopment proposal. Footpaths and cyclewaysshould be planned to link housing withemployment, commercial and leisure areas. Theyshould be segregated from traffic whereverpossible, conveniently located for public transportand designed to ensure the personal safety ofusers. Fife Council’s Transportation DevelopmentGuidelines and Supplementary ‘Designing Streets’Guidance (April 2009) together with design criteriacontained in the Fife Urban Design Guide seek tointegrate facilities for pedestrians and cyclemovement. These guidelines will be applied indetermining development proposals. Thesupplementary guidance also specifies thatmultiple points of vehicular and pedestrian accessshould be provided, but there may be justificationto relax these standards for small scaledevelopment. The requirements of clause (h) ofthis policy will therefore be subject to agreementon a site by site basis with Fife CouncilTransportation Services.



POLICY T2 TRAFFIC SAFETY IN NEWDEVELOPMENT

Policy T2

Traffic Safety in New Development

Measures to improve pedestrian safety forall road users are required in all newdevelopments, including footwayprovision and improvements, constructionof suitable traffic calming measures, andthe reduction of speeds in residential areasto 20MPH or less where appropriate.

Road layout, construction, access andparking provision should conform to FifeCouncil’s Transportation DevelopmentGuidelines and Supplementary ‘DesigningStreets’ Guidance, the principles set out inthe Fife Urban Design Guide and otherNational Policy Standards whereappropriate e.g. SPP17 and the DesignManual for Roads and Bridges.Development proposals likely to generatea significant amount of traffic should beaccompanied by Transport Assessments,including, where appropriate, Travel Plans,and Environmental Impact Assessments.Cumulative Transport Assessments will berequired to be prepared and funded bydevelopers/landowners working inpartnership with the Council wheremultiple development sites require to beassessed on a cumulative basis.

Reason

A safe residential environment requires that thedesign and use of roads in exclusively residentialstreets is delivered in a manner which builds inappropriate traffic calming. New residentialdevelopment should take account of PAN 76: NewResidential Streets, which provides advice on thedesign of better quality residential streets andfocuses on key factors which can create successfulstreet design.

The Council will ensure that all new developmentsmeet satisfactory road safety and trafficmanagement standards for all road users includingpedestrians, cyclists, children and the elderly. Thiswill be achieved through the application of FifeCouncil design criteria contained in the Fife UrbanDesign Guide, Fife Council TransportationDevelopment Guidelines and Supplementary‘Designing Streets’ Guidance (April 2009) and otherstandards, which provide a uniform approach toparking, servicing, layout, road construction andother relevant issues. Compliance with thesestandards allows roads to be adopted and ensureslong-term maintenance and safety.

In the case of both major planning proposals andnew road proposals, Transport Assessments andEnvironmental Impact Assessments will berequired to allow the fullest consideration of allrelevant issues. Travel Plans may also be requiredto demonstrate how sustainable travel optionscan be achieved in cases where developmentproposals will give rise to significant levels ofcommuting and/or customer-related travel.

Where roads are to be private, Fife Council willrequire to be satisfied at the time of grantingplanning permission that adequate arrangementswill exist to ensure maintenance, repair, cleanlinessand, in the long-term, replacement ofroads/drains/lighting.

POLICY I1 RENEWABLE ENERGY

Policy I1

Renewable Energy

A range of technologies for renewable energygeneration, including micro-renewables, willbe encouraged. Renewable energydevelopments will be supported providedthat:

a. there is no significant adverse impact onlocal communities and/or the built andnatural environment;



b. they provide employment opportunities,particularly diversification of the ruraleconomy; and

c. they make use of brownfield orcontaminated land, where possible.

All proposals will be required to providedetailed information on associatedinfrastructure required; including roads andgrid connections, impact during constructionand operational phases of the development,including visual impact, noise, and odourissues; and provisions for the restoration ofthe site.

All new developments should make a positivecontribution to environmental quality byincorporating on-site zero and low carbonequipment contributing at least an extra 15%reduction in CO2 emissions beyond the 2007Building Regulations carbon dioxideemissions standard.

Proposals for combustion of biomass,composting, landfill gas and othertechnologies will be supported where:

d. they make use of brownfield orcontaminated land; or

e. they provide rural employmentopportunities and are consistent withother Development Plan policies.

Biomass fuel processing and energyproduction facilities will be supported whereit can be demonstrated that generatingefficiency will be enhanced by co-locationand, subject to transportation impact, sitingand design.

Proposals to abstract geothermal energy fromgroundwater and other sources will besupported throughout Fife provided that thedrilling, engineering and abstractionoperations do not:

f. cause unacceptable impacts on the builtand natural environment, and residentialand other sensitive properties; and

g. do not cause pollution of groundwater.

Proposals for hydro power developments willbe supported throughout Fife’s river networkprovided that they do not cause damage tofisheries, fish and other aquatic life within theriver catchment.

Proposals for using solar panels will besupported provided that they comply withDevelopment Plan policy and PlanningCustomer Guidelines.

Reason

Renewable energy technologies can be used togenerate electricity, heat water and provide spaceheating. The technologies can be developed ona domestic, community or commercial scale. Theymay be incorporated into new developmentproposals and introduced to existingdevelopment. There is a range of technologieswhich could be exploited in Fife, including wind,hydro, biomass, waste, geothermal, heat exchange,solar (direct and photovoltaic) and passive solardesign. There is also scope for offshorewind-powered developments and othertechnologies that operate on the coast and on orunder the surface of the sea.

A key role of the planning system is to support amove towards low and zero carbon developmentthrough the use of energy efficient,micro-generating and decentralised renewableenergy systems. The policy requirement for aminimum of 15% accords with national guidancecontained in SPP6: Renewable Energy. Furtherdetailed advice on specific requirements andcalculations are contained in PAN 84 : ReducingCarbon Emissions in New Development. It shouldbe noted however that the 15% requirement willbe subject to review when the BuildingRegulations are amended (anticipated 2010) butapplicants will be required to provide clearevidence using Standard Assessment Procedure(SAP) 2005 or equivalent, to demonstrate theirproposals comply with the policy targets whensubmitting a planning application or discharginga planning condition. Advice on calculatingcarbon footprint is available at:



http://www.carbontrust.co.ukhttp://www.themertonrule.org

In order to ensure that all future developmentcontributes to sustainable principles, Fife Councilis also currently preparing a ‘sustainabilitychecklist’ which will be used as a basis for assessingapplications for development.

Fife Council also has direct control over renewableenergy developments below 50MW (mega watts)and hydro schemes below 1MW and consulteestatus for larger scale proposals. SPP6: RenewableEnergy, PAN 45: Renewable Energy Technologiesand the Annex to PAN 45 dealing withmicrogeneration, together with guidelines on andPANs, guide how Fife Council will address the widerange of renewable technologies that may bedeveloped in Fife during the Plan period.

Whilst some technologies will be suitable for siteswithin built-up areas (e.g. industrial estates), otherswill be constrained in their location e.g. landfillgas. There is potential to develop further hydropowered schemes within the Fife river networkand potential for abstracting energy from a rangeof sources of geothermal energy. All schemesmust accord with Policy E20 unless there is anover-riding socio-economic reason in favour ofdevelopment in accordance with Article 4 of theWater Framework Directive 2000.

Solar power can be used for electricity generation,water and space heating and optimum use shouldbe made of site layouts through passive solardesign techniques. Coastal applications andlandfall installations must not cause or exacerbatecoastal flooding or erosion and undergroundingof cables should be used to minimise the impactsin sensitive locations. There is potential forrenewable energy technologies in the water offthe coast of Fife utilising wind, wave and tidesources. Fife Council will only be a consultee inrespect of such proposals. Shoreline installationsof less than 50MW and landfall installations fromoffshore generating plant will be controlled byFife Council.

The sources of potential commercial andcommunity renewable energy are likely to be inthe rural areas of the Plan area and will be

considered in the context of the Plan's natural,built and historic environment policies. Withinthis context, the Council will take a positive viewof renewable energy proposals, recognising thewider benefits inherent in the development ofrenewable energy technology for electricitygeneration and the employment and economicbenefits that they may bring. Any commercialrenewable energy electricity generation projectwill usually require connection to the electricitydistribution grid. This can involve the siting ofoverhead cables or the laying of cablesunderground. In both instances, visual amenityand protection of the environment will be primaryconsiderations, paying particular regard to theterms of the Fife Landscape Character Assessment. Policy E3 – Development Quality – EnvironmentalImpact will also apply.

The exploitation of energy crops and forestry andfarm waste are also likely to require countrysidelocations, both for the crop itself and theassociated generating plant as there are benefitsof co-locating crops and combustion plants. Suchuses may be appropriate in the countryside subjectto detailed consideration of their visual impact,noise, traffic generation and pollution control. Where timber is the energy crop full account mustbe taken of the Indicative Forestry Strategy. Combined heat and power combustion plantsremote from crop growing areas may besupported.

All proposals will be assessed against the policyprotection given in the Plan to the natural andbuilt environment. Every proposal will be assessedagainst a range of criteria including landscape,visual, and noise impact as well as the effect onwildlife. While there is scope for commercial andcommunity exploitation of a number oftechnologies, it is anticipated that the mainpressure will be from wind power. Proposals forcommercial wind farms will be assessed in relationto Policy R1 of the Fife Structure Plan, and to FifeCouncil Supplementary Planning Guidance (April2008) – Wind Energy .The Local Plan ProposalsMap also identifies ‘Areas of Search for WindTurbine Development’ to guide developmentproposals.



Further detailed guidance on the development ofrenewable energy technologies is also includedin Fife Council Planning Customer Guideline‘Renewable Energy in Fife’ and can be viewed atwww.fifedirect.org.uk

POLICY I2 COMBINED HEAT ANDPOWER

Policy I2

Combined Heat and Power

Proposals for combined heat and powerplant will be supported where:

a. the heat or electricity generatedcontributes to the on-site requirements;and/or

b. any surplus heat or electricity can makea contribution to the wider energy gridor other consumers.

c. there is no significant adverse impact onlocal communities and/or the built andnatural environment;

d. they provide employment opportunities,particularly diversification of

e. the rural economy; andf. they make use of brownfield or

contaminated land, where possible.g. All proposals will be required to provide

detailed information on associatedinfrastructure required; including roadsand grid connections, impact duringconstruction and operational phases ofthe development, including visualimpact, noise, and odour issues; andprovisions for the restoration of the site.

Reason

Conventional fuel combustion electricitygenerating units, or heat only industrial operations,are not energy efficient. Their efficiency can besignificantly improved by using heat, for examplefor space or water heating purposes. Informulating proposals for fossil fuel poweredcombustion operations, developers should fully

evaluate the potential for utilising heat energyreleased. Waste is also a potential heat source andthe Area Waste Plan identifies that there may bea need for additional facilities in the form of athermal treatment or combined heat and powerplant by 2013 to meet landfill diversion targets. Further guidance on the thermal treatment ofmunicipal waste is provided by SEPA .

http://www.sepa.org.uk/waste/waste_regulation.aspx

POLICY I3 WATER AND SEWERAGE

Policy I3

Water and Sewerage

A public sewer connection must be used,if available, at any development site.Development proposals involving theprovision of private waste water treatmentplant, biodiscs, septic tanks or similar, willonly be supported where:

a. the site is not served by the publicsewerage system and it cannot beconnected to the public system atreasonable cost;

b. there is no additional detrimentaleffect to water bodies;

c. the proposed septic tank, biodisc orsimilar, and associated soakaway iswithin the application site, is no lessthan 15 metres from adjoininghabitable properties, is no less than 5metres from the application siteboundaries for a single house; and

d. the developer enters into a legalagreement to cover ownership andmaintenance where shared drainagesystems are involved. (This agreementshould also secure connection withpublic infrastructure if and when thatbecomes available).



Reason

Private drainage systems, septic tanks andbio-discs have traditionally been important fornew development in locations outwithpublic-sewered areas. Private drainage systems,particularly small treatment plants, have beenincreasingly viewed as a means of overcomingdevelopment constraints affecting publicsewerage systems in towns and villages. There isconcern, however, over the potential for pollutionand environmental hazard, including the effectprivate systems can have on both ground waterand surface water bodies. The general approachadopted will be to discourage private seweragesystems in areas served by a public seweragesystem regardless of whether or not there iscapacity within the system.

Any discharges to the environment from privatesystems need authorisation by SEPA under theWater Environment (Controlled Activities)(Scotland) Regulations 2005 (as amended).

POLICY I4 FLOODING AND WATERQUALITY

Policy I4

Flooding and Water Quality

Development will not be supported if:

(a) it would increase the risk of flooding

by reducing the capacity of floodstorage or conveyancing areas or byaltering the flow characteristics of ariver channel, or increasing flowswithin an area known to flood; orthrough the discharge of additionalsurface water; orby harming flood defences; or

b. it would be at risk from flooding andadequate provision is not made foraccess to watercourses formaintenance

unless adequate mitigation measures canbe secured by conditions attached to aplanning permission or a legal agreement.

In areas at known risk from tidal flooding andcoastal erosion, development will not besupported unless it is related to coastaldefence works.

In all instances, developers will be requiredto provide both flood risk appraisals, insupport of applications for development inlow and medium-to-high known flood riskareas, and drainage impact assessments.Developers will be required to provide orcontribute towards costs associated withflood management works. Further guidanceis provided in SPP7: Planning and Flooding.In addition, the Fife Flood Appraisal Group iscurrently preparing a guidance note for usein assessing development proposals. Theterms of Policy I5 in relation to SUDS are alsoapplicable.

Reason

Government guidance in SPP7: Planning andFlooding emphasises that the susceptibility of landto flooding is a material consideration in planningdecisions. Development of an area that is exposedto frequent or extensive flooding is likely to beunsuitable and should be avoided. In makingdecisions regarding possible flood risk, the Councilwill apply the precautionary principle; that is,taking action now to avoid possible environmentaldamage even when the evidence for acting maybe inconclusive but the potential impact could begreat. Comprehensive information on areassusceptible to flooding is not available at presentbut, if and when it becomes available, the Councilwill incorporate it into the Local Plan at the earliestopportunity.

Proposals that include flood mitigation measureswill be considered in light of the expected life spanof the development and may require provision bythe developer for the continued maintenance ofthese measures. A planning approval will not implythe absence of flood risk. The Risk Frameworkoutlined in SPP7 characterises areas for planning



purposes by their annual probability of floodingand gives the appropriate planning response. Inareas classified as medium to high risk forwatercourse and coastal flooding, where theprobability of flooding is greater than 0.5% (1:200),new development should be focussed on built-upareas and all development must be safeguardedfrom the risk of flooding. Where there is aperceived risk of flooding, the Council will requireto be satisfied that adequate mitigation measurescan be put in place to avoid or minimise such risk.Developers will be required to submit a Flood RiskAssessment. Detailed technical advice onpreparing flood risk a ssessments and SEPA’sIndicative River and Coastal Flood Map (Scotland)is available from SEPA directly or from theirwebsite. See:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Water/Flooding

and

http://www.sepa.org.uk/flooding/flood_risk.aspx

POLICY I5 SUSTAINABLE URBANDRAINAGE

Policy I5

Sustainable Urban Drainage

Development proposals involving surfacewater run-off will only be supported whereSustainable Urban Drainage Systems(SUDS) or similar appropriate measuresare undertaken. SUDS or similarappropriate measures should:

a. maintain public safety;

b. provide or enhance wetland habitatand biodiversity;

c. provide sufficient attenuation tosurface water flows as appropriate;and

d. ensure there is adequate treatment ofsurface water flows, such that there is

no diminution in quality of anyreceiving watercourse.

Agreement on the design and long-termmaintenance of SUDS will be required priorto the commencement of development.

Reason

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency(SEPA), in partnership with Fife Council andScottish Water, has responsibility for controllingthe quality of run-off into open watercourses.PAN61: Planning and Sustainable Urban DrainageSystems details the role of the different agenciesand gives good practice advice. The use of SUDStechniques will be required for new developmentsto achieve attenuation on sites where downstreamflooding may be an issue, to improve the qualityof water being discharged, and to introducediverse wildlife habitats into newly created pondsand wetland areas. Development will not bepermitted to commence until full details of anySUDS scheme is approved. Specific guidance onappropriate measures and best practice is availablefrom SEPA, or refer to CIRIA publication“Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems DesignManual for Scotland and Northern Ireland”.

POLICY I6 TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Policy I6

Telecommunications

Proposals for the installation oftelecommunications masts and relatedinfrastructure will be supported, providedthat:

a. they cause minimal adverse effects onthe character and appearance of thesurrounding area; and

b. it can be demonstrated that theenvironmental impact will beminimised by:



use of the least obtrusiveinfrastructure necessary to satisfy theoperators’ network requirements;consideration of opportunities toshare existing masts ortelecommunications sites;consideration of opportunities tolocate on existing buildings or otherstructures;including details to conceal or disguisethe installation;the siting, scale, design, and colour ofthe installation, taking account oftownscape, landform, built andnatural features-with particularreference to the impact on the skylineor horizon, ridges and hilltops;its relationship to the natural and builtheritage; andin the case of equipment replacingexisting installations, ensuring thatthe replacement infrastructure will beless visually intrusive than the existinginstallation.

Note: Applications for planning permissionare to be accompanied by a statement oneach of the above clauses. Applicationsfor radio telecommunications must alsoinclude a declaration that the equipmentand installation is in accordance with theGovernment’s guidelines for publicexposure to radio frequency radiation.

Reason

For effective operational purposes,telecommunications antennae require relativelyclear lines of sight. This has led to a proliferationof masts in environmentally sensitive locations. The challenge is to balance this operatorrequirement with the need to ensure that newtelecommunications development is anunobtrusive feature of urban and rural areas. Thisrequires sensitive, imaginative and creative designand siting solutions with full consideration of theoptions available, as set out in PAN 62: RadioTelecommunications.

Masts/antennae should be located where theycause the least environmental impact. Low profilelocations on or adjacent to existingtelecommunications apparatus, on other isolatedstructures such as electricity pylons or on highstructures such as chimneys are preferred. Onlywhere operators demonstrate that suchopportunities are not possible or where these arenot the most sensitive environmental options willthe Council consider the case for new groundbased masts.

It is often possible to conceal apparatus frompublic view by the use of small-scale equipment,the judicious use of buildings or landscape featuresand disguise. PAN 62 gives extensive advice onthese matters.

Particular attention has to be paid to the sitingand design of telecommunications networks andinfrastructure where they affect Areas of GreatLandscape Value, coastal areas, public open space,green corridors, nature conservation sites, wildlifesites, historic gardens and designed landscapes,conservation areas, listed buildings and scheduledmonuments. Operators should refer to therelevant policies within the Plan if any of the aboveare likely to be affected. Where proposals are inclose proximity to schools a visual representationof the beams of greatest intensity strength atvarious points within the area surrounding themast must be provided.

Where new masts must be provided, they shouldavoid visually prominent locations. Masts that aresited on ridges or hilltops or that break the skylineare not generally desirable and should be viewedas a last resort.

Within urban areas, industrial and commercial, asopposed to residential, locations are likely to bemore acceptable. Masts should be slim and simplein form and disguised within the landscape ortownscape. Large lattice towers should only beused as a means to secure mast sharing. Operatorsof masts located on prominent roadside locationsand in urban areas will also be required to bedemonstrate how the equipment is to disguisedor concealed.



Site boundaries and landscaping should bedesigned in a sensitive manner and respect localtopography, and local building and plantingtraditions.

Where existing equipment is being replaced, thenew infrastructure shall be less visually intrusive. When equipment becomes redundant, it must beremoved and the site left in good order at theoperator’s expense.

POLICY I7 HEALTH AND SAFETYCONSULTATION ZONES

Policy I7

Health and Safety Consultation Zones

Development proposals within thesafeguard consultation zones and pipelineconsultation corridors identified on theProposals Map will be determined inconsultation with the Health and SafetyExecutive and the facility'soperators/owners.

Reason

Certain sites and pipelines are designated asnotifiable installations by virtue of the quantitiesof hazardous substance present. The siting of suchinstallations will be subject to planning controls,for example under the Town and Country Planning(Hazardous Substances) (Scotland) Regulations1993, aimed at keeping these separated from newdevelopment with which such installations mightbe incompatible from a safety viewpoint. Inaccordance with Circular 5/93, Fife Council willconsult the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), asappropriate, about the siting of any proposednotifiable installations. Fife Council and operatorsprepare emergency contingency plans in respectof these hazards, and have regard to the terms ofthe Planning (Control of Major AccidentHazards)(Scotland) Regulations 2000.

These installations are subject to the Control ofMajor Accident Hazard Regulations 1999 (COMAH),the Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996, and theHealth and Safety at Work Act 1974. There are likelyto be severe restraints on certain types ofdevelopment. The Health and Safety Executiveoperates a precautionary policy in assessing risks,consequences and tolerability of risks; and in doingso has regard to the terms of its own document,'Risk Criteria for Land Use Planning in the vicinityof Major Industrial Hazards' in giving its advice.



Glossary

This glossary is designed to explain terms thatare common in planning. It aims to help readerswho are not used to the planning system. Moredetailed definitions of planning terms can befound in the Fife Structure Plan (published byFife Council), and Scottish GovernmentPlanning Policy (SPP) and Planning AdviceNotes (PANs), both published by the ScottishGovernment.

Arboriculture: the cultivation and managementof trees within the landscape.

Accessibility: how easy it is to travel within, into,and between places.

Adoption: the bringing into force of a Local Planas part of the Development Plan through aresolution of the Council as Planning Authority.

Affordable Housing: housing of a reasonablequality that is affordable to people on modestincomes. It includes property for rent or sale (orboth of these) and shared ownership. It could alsoinclude small low cost starter homes and self buildplots.

Amenity: This term is used to describe theinfluence of the many elements that can make aplace pleasant to be in. These might includehistoric buildings, trees, open spaces, green areasand local facilities, such as play areas, sportscentres and shops. Amenity can also describe theelements that contribute to an area’s distinctivecharacter.

Appropriate Assessment: process required ofthe Birds Directive 79/409/EEC and HabitatsDirective 92/43/EEC to avoid adverse effects ofplans, programmes and projects on Natura 2000sites and thereby maintain the integrity of theNatura 2000 network and its features.

Archaeological Area of Regional Importance(AARI): a defined geographical area within whicha number of related archaeological sites andmonuments exist.

Area of Mixed Use (AMUs): An area where varioustypes of development are acceptable, for examplehomes, shops, offices and leisure facilities. TheLocal Plan will define what uses are preferred ineach individual AMU.

Area Transport Plan (ATP): a plan that translatesthe Local Transport Strategy into local policies andprojects. Fife has ATPs covering West, Central andEast Fife.

Area Waste Plan: a waste management strategyprepared for Fife as part of SEPA’s strategy toimplement the National Waste Strategy.

Article 4 Direction: an order approved by theScottish Government allowing the Council toextend its planning controls over work inConservation Areas that does not normally requireplanning permission. Could in principle, beapplied to other areas where the Council feelextended planning controls are required.

Basic Community Facilities or Services: everydayfacilities such as a shop, post office and school.

Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO):the outcome of a systematic and consultativedecision-making procedure, which emphasisesthe protection and conservation of theenvironment across land, air and water. The BPEOprocedure establishes, for a given set of objectives,the option that provides the most benefits or theleast damage to the environment as a whole, atacceptable cost, in the long-term as well as theshort-term.

Biodisk: a form of private waste water treatment.

Biodiversity: the variety of living things and howthey interact with the environment they exist in.A Biodiversity Action Plan (BDAP) encourages andprotects this diversity.

Biomass: living and recently dead biologicalmaterial that can be used for renewable fuel andenergy production.

Brownfield: land or a site that has previously beendeveloped. This could include:

vacant or derelict land;



infill sites (sites in a built-up area such as atown or village);land occupied by redundant or unusedbuildings; andland that has already been developed wherethe Council considers that the purpose it iscurrently being used for could be intensified,for example adding shops or houses.

It does not include mineral workings, temporaryuses, parks and gardens, sports and recreationgrounds, woodlands and amenity open spaces(landscaped areas that improve an area’sappearance).

Built Environment: all buildings and structuresincluding archaeology.

Built Heritage: buildings, (including archaeology)and structures of historic interest and importance.

Campus: group of buildings with a similar orlinked use.

Capacity (Housing): the estimated number ofhouses that can be built on a site.

Capacity Constraint (Transportation): too muchtraffic for the existing road or rail system.

Census Output Area: the smallest Census Areaused, formed by analysing postcodes andaccurately nesting these output areas within largerareas such as Council Areas.

Class 2 - Offices: offices for financial, professional,and other services as defined in the Town andCountry Planning (Use Classes) (Scotland) Order1997.

Class 4 - Business: light industry, research anddevelopment, and office use as defined in theTown and Country Planning (Use Classes)(Scotland) Order 1997.

Classes 5 - General Industry: Use for the carryingon of an industrial process other than one fallingwithin Class 4.

Class 6 - Storage or Distribution: Wholesalewarehouse, distribution centres, repositories.

Clean manufacturing: Industrial or commercialprocesses which have a low environmental impact.

Coalescence: when towns or villages, which werepreviously separate, merge.

Coastal Zone: lands and waters adjacent to thecoast that exert an influence on the uses of the seaand its ecology, or whose uses and ecology areaffected by the sea. Includes land up to 250 metresinland from Mean High Water Springs, the coastallandscapes defined in the Fife Landscape CharacterAssessment, and coastal habitats.

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Schemes: thegeneration of heat and power in a single process. CHP schemes generate electricity and use theotherwise wasted heat in industrial applicationsor in community heating projects.

Commercial Recreation: leisure and recreationfacilities provided by the private sector as abusiness enterprise.

Community Facilities or Services: such as shops,post office, schools, leisure, entertainment,recreation and transport.

Community Planning:the process by whichorganisations come together to set a joint agendain the Community Plan for improving thewellbeing of Fife. The Community Plan can beaccessed at, and downloaded from,www.fifedirect.org.uk.

Commuted Sum/Payment: a sum payable forthe provision of, for example, affordable housingor serviced employment land elsewhere in an areaas a result of an obligation on another site.

Comparison (Non-Food) Shopping: shoppingwhere the purchaser will compare the prices,quality and quantity before a purchase is made.e.g. clothes, fashion merchandise, electrical goods,furniture, etc.

Conservation Area: an area designated by aplanning authority in accordance with Section 61of the Planning (ListedBuildings and ConservationAreas) (Scotland) Act 1997 as being of special



architectural or historic interest, the character orappearance of which it is desirable to enhance orpreserve.

Constraints: anything that may limit thedevelopment potential of a site.

Contaminated Land: land covered by orcontaining any substance which is:

causing or is presenting a significantpossibility of causing harm; orlikely to be causing pollution of controlledwaters.

Convenience (Food) Shopping: broadly definedas food shopping, drinks, tobacco, newspapers,magazines, confectionery, etc., purchased regularlyfor relatively immediate consumption.

Co-operative or Co Housing: housing wherefacilities can be shared; by being owned ormanaged by a group of people with commoninterests.

Core Paths Plan: a plan that defines a basicnetwork of paths sufficient for the purpose ofgiving the public reasonable access throughouttheir area.

Countryside: all areas outwith the settlementboundaries, as defined in Local Plans.

Density: the number of houses per hectare.

Departure Procedure: special consultation andadvertisement procedure that enables the publicto make known their views on developmentproposals that are not included in theDevelopment Plan.

Derelict Land: previously developed land that hasfallen into a ruinous state and requires treatmentor clearance before it can be brought back intobeneficial use.

Developed Coast: defined as within settlementswith a population greater than 2,000 or wherethere is existing large-scale development forindustry, tourism and recreation outwithsettlement limits.

Development: the carrying out of building,engineering, mining or other operations in, on,over or under land or the making of any materialchange in the use of buildings or other land (alegal definition can be found in the Planning etc(Scotland) Act 2006).

Development Brief: guidance prepared on thelayout, design, and planning requirements for adefined area of land. May also be called a Planningor Design Brief.

Development Framework: see StrategicDevelopment Framework.

Development Opportunity: sites available forredevelopment, for example for housing, businessor leisure uses.

Development Plan: Structure Plan and LocalPlan(s) that together provide the statutoryplanning framework for Fife. See also StructurePlan and Local Plan.

Fife Development Plan Scheme: sets out theprogramme for preparing and reviewing localdevelopment plans and what is likely to beinvolved at each stage.

District Town Centre: the town centres ofCowdenbeath, Cupar, Glenrothes, Leven and StAndrews, as identified in the Fife Structure Plan2006-2026.

Domestic Renewable Energy: such as small scalewind turbines, geo-thermal heat pumps and solarpanels.

Eco, Environmentally Friendly or Low Impacthousing: housing that is built to a highenvironmental specification that reduces itsenergy use and impact on the environment.

Edge-of-centre: a location adjacent to, or withineasy walking distance of the town centre.

Effective Housing Supply: the part of theestablished land supply that is expected to be freeof constraints in the 5-year period underconsideration and be available for construction ofhouses.



Employment Areas: all land allocated foremployment use in Structure and/or Local Plans,or that has a valid planning consent for such a use.This is split into 3 categories:

Strategic Employment Land – undevelopedland allocated for specific purposes withinProposal PE1 of the Fife Structure Plan2006-2026Allocated Employment Areas –undeveloped land allocated for employmentuse in Structure and/or Local Plans and/orland that has a valid planning consent forthese uses. Does not include land identifiedas a strategic allocation.Existing Employment Areas – landdeveloped for employment use which shouldbe safeguarded for continued employmentuse.

Employment Land: all land identified for business(Class 4) and industrial (Classes 5 and 6) uses.

Employment Land Audit: An annual audit usedto monitor the supply and development ofemployment areas. The audit, which is availableat www.fifedirect.org.uk, should be referred to fora fuller explanation of the terms associated withemployment areas.

Environmental Impact Assessment: procedureset out in Environmental ImpactAssessment(Scotland) Regulations 1999 that must be followedfor assessing likely significant environmentaleffects of certain types of project, before they canbe given development consent.

Established Housing Land Supply: the remainingcapacity of sites under construction, sites withplanning consent, sites in adopted local plans and,where appropriate, other buildings and land withagreed potential for housing development.

Farm Diversification: using farms for purposesother than farming.

Fife Landscape Capacity Study: a studyundertaken to assess the capacity of the landscapeto accommodate new development adjacent tosettlements in Fife.

Fife Minerals Subject Local Plan: a Fife-wideLocal Plan concerned solely with minerals.

Fife Partnership:a partnership of public andprivate sector bodies with lead responsibility forcommunity planning in Fife. The Fife Partnershipbrings together Fife Council, NHS Fife, FifeConstabulary, CVS Fife, Scottish Enterprise Fife,and Fife’s Further and Higher Educationestablishments to direct action and monitorprogress towards achieving the Fife CommunityPlan.

Financial Framework: provides guidance on andsets out the basis of the Council’s approach todeveloper contributions. Part of the Local Plan.

General Needs Housing: housing not intendedfor use by a specific type of resident (for exampleelderly, infirm, frail or disabled people, or students).

General Permitted Development Order (GPDO):part of planning law that defines what does anddoes not require planning permission. (Full detailsare in the Town and Country Planning (GeneralPermitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992as amended by the Town and Country Planning(General Permitted Development) (Scotland)Amendment Order 1997.)

Geothermal Energy: a form of renewable energyderived form the heat within the earth’s crust. Theheated groundwater which is produced by theprocesses involved can be used to heat homesand to produce electricity.

Green Belt: areas adjacent to settlementsdesignated to direct planned growth, protect thecharacter, landscape setting and identity andpreserve existing views to and from of thesettlement’s historic core and to protect and giveaccess to open space.

Green Burial Site: where burial usually takes placein a biodegradable coffin or shroud. A tree, shrubor wild flowers are planted as a memorial insteadof having a headstone.



Green Transport Plan: a plan or strategy thatseeks to reduce travel by car. It seeks to enhanceopportunities for employees or visitors to travelby walking, cycling, or public transport.

Greenfield: a site which has never previously beendeveloped or used for an urban use or land thathas been brought into active and beneficial usefor agriculture or forestry i.e. fully restored derelictland.

Greenfield Release: releasing a Greenfield sitefor development.

Ground Issues: usually refers to concern about toan area that has had previous mining activity orindustrial uses.

Housing Land Audit: an annual survey of allhousing sites in Fife for the purposes of monitoringthe housing land supply and identifying those siteswithin the established housing land supply whichare expected to be effective within the periodunder consideration.

Housing Land Requirement: the number ofhouses needed, informed by the Housing Needsand Demand Analysis and the Local HousingStrategy. It includes an element of flexibility toallow for uncertainties.

Housing Market Area: a geographical area whichis relatively self-contained in terms of reflectingpeople’s choice of location for a new home, i.e. alarge percentage of people buying a house in thearea will have sought a house only in that area.

Housing Need: for the purposes of the Local Plan,housing need is demographic, as indicated by thechange in the number of households. Also refersto households lacking their own housing or livingin housing which is inadequate or unsuitable, whoare unlikely to be able to meet their needs in thehousing market without some assistance

Housing Review: a document setting out thehousing land supply position as at 1st April eachyear.

Hydro-Power: a system of converting the energycreated by water flow into electricity.

Infill Development: the development of vacantareas of land between existing buildings.

In Situ: in the original position.

Indicative Development Framework:Demonstrates in a conceptual form, a possiblemeans of developing a site by demonstrating keydesign, development, layout and possibly phasingprinciples. It can include principal pedestrian andvehicle connections, arrangement of open spacesand also some density and capacity expectations.

Indicative Forest Strategy: a document publishedby Fife Council to indicate the suitability, orotherwise, of areas of afforestation.

Industry: the making of any article or part of anyarticle including a ship or vessel; the altering,repairing, maintaining, ornamenting, finishing,cleaning, washing, packing, canning, adapting forsale, breaking up or demolition of any article; orthe getting, dressing or treatment of minerals.

Infrastructure: basic services such as roads, water,sewerage, gas and electricity, which are necessaryfor development to take place; may includeschools and community facilities.

Inventory of Gardens and DesignedLandscapes: Historic Scotland and the formerCountryside Commission for Scotland in 1983published the Inventory. Itcovers Scotland's mostoutstanding historic gardens and includes parksand cemeteries.

Inward Investment: the attraction of businessesand enterprises to an area.

Knowledge-based Industry: an industry that isrecognised as being highly innovative as a resultof knowledge and intellectual creativity.

Knowledge Economy: employment related toUniversity or college education, such as researchand development, and medi-science.

Landfill: permanently disposing of waste aboveor below the ground.



Landfill Diversion Target: a target that FifeCouncil is striving to meet to reduce the quantityof waste disposed in landfill sites.

Landfill Site: an area of land for the disposal ofwaste.

Landscape Capacity: the capability of landscapeto absorb new development.

Landscape Character Assessment: assessmentundertaken by Scottish Natural Heritage whichdefines the strategic elements which make up thelandscape character of the area.

Listed Building: a building of special architecturalor historic interest designated by ScottishMinisters. Such buildings are categorised A, B orC to reflect their relative importance.

Local Development Plan: The Planning etc(Scotland) Act 2006 provided for the replacementof Local Plans with Local Development Plans. These will form part of the Development Plan.

Local Town Centre or Local Centre: the centresof settlements of less than 8,000 populationserving their local catchment.

Local Housing Strategy: the Housing (Scotland)Act 2001 requires local authorities to lead in theassessment of housing supply, needs, demands,and conditions and, through the development ofa shared understanding of the operation of localhousing markets, to plan and implement along-term strategy for housing improvement.

Local Nature Reserve: designated by LocalAuthorities where they own or lease the land orhave an agreement with the landowner. Designation is usually the result of both a site’snatural heritage interest and its value for educationand informal recreation.

Local Plan: part of the Development Plan settingout a detailed land use framework for an area.(Note that these will be replaced by LocalDevelopment Plans.)

Local Transport Strategy (LTS): documentexplaining the local authority’s transport policiesand strategies to the public and setting out the

strategic vision for transport provision and anintegrated transport network. It is used to supportfunding bids to the Scottish Government and otherbodies.

Masterplan: a comprehensive plan to guide thelong-term physical development of a particulararea.

Micro-Generation (Micro-Renewables): theproduction of heat less than 45kilowatts (Kw)and/or electricity less than 50 Kw from zero or lowcarbon sources.

Mixed Tenure Housing: usually a mix of socialrented, affordable and open market housing.

Modal Choice: particular mode of transport.

Modification: a change that Fife Council makesto an unadopted Local Plan; or that the FirstMinister makes to a finalised (but not approved)Structure Plan.

Multi-function Service Centre: abuilding orproperty with multiple uses, users, or both.

National Nature Reserve: a site designated byScottish Natural Heritage, which is considered tobe of national importance for its natural heritageinterest. National Nature Reserves are managedwith nature conservation as the primary objective.

National Planning Framework (NPF):a strategyfor the long-term development of Scotland'stowns, cities and countryside, prepared by theScottish Government to guide the developmentof Scotland to 2025, setting out a vision in whichother plans and programmes can share.

National Planning Policy Guidelines (NPPGs):guidance issued by the Scottish Government andproviding statements of Government policy onnationally important land use issues and otherplanning matters, supported, where appropriate,by a locational framework. The ScottishGovernment is replacing NPPGs with SPPs.

National Waste Plan: a compendium of all theScottish Area Waste Plans including the Fife AreaWaste Plan.



National Waste Strategy: a national strategy, bythe Scottish Environment Protection Agency(SEPA) for dealing with waste in Scotland.

National Transport Strategy: a nationalframework for transport to be produced by theScottish Executive in 2006.

Natural Environment: geology, wildlife, habitatsand landscape.

Natura 2000 Site: part of a European network ofSpecial Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areasof Conservation (SACs).

Night time Economy: economic activity, usuallyleisure and entertainment, that takes place after5pm.

Non-Effective Site: a housing site not expectedto contribute to the Housing Land Requirementdue to constraints. Such sites may becomeeffective if their constraints are addressed.

Non-Food (Comparison) Shopping: shoppingwhere the purchaser will compare the prices,quality and quantity before a purchase is madee.g. clothes, fashion merchandise, electrical goods,furniture, etc.

Outline Planning Permission: where Fife Councilhas given permission to the principle of a certaintype of development. Before a development canbe built, full planning permission must beobtained.

Out-of-centre: a location that is separated froma town centre but within an urban area includingprogrammed extensions in approved or adopteddevelopment plans.

Park & Choose: scheme combined with Park &Ride (bus and/or rail) to increase the flexibility ofjourney choice, thereby increasing theattractiveness of car sharing, using public transportor cycling to increase car occupancies oncongested corridors.

Park & Ride: scheme enabling motorists to leavetheir vehicles at edge-of-town car parks and travelinto town centres by public transport or bicycle.

Planning Advice Notes (PANs): Documentsissued by the Scottish Government providingadvice on good practice and other relevantinformation.

Planning Agreement: see Section 75 Agreement.

Planning Brief: see Development Brief.

Planning Customer Guideline: a guidance noteproduced and approved by Fife Council to givedetailed advice on a specific topic.

Plan Examination: a legal process to scrutinise aLocal Plan. Examinations are held by an appointeefrom the Scottish Government’s Directorate forPlanning and Environmental Appeals. After theExamination the appointee makes arecommendation on how the Council shouldproceed.

Planning Permission: where Fife Council hasgiven permission for a certain type ofdevelopment, for example new houses or businesspremises. The planning permission will set downany conditions which must be followed.

Policy: a statement of attitude or intent inresponse to certain planning issues orcircumstances.

Precautionary Principle: principle adopted bythe UN Conference on the Environment andDevelopment (1992) that in order to protect theenvironment, a precautionary approach shouldbe widely applied, meaning that where there arethreats of serious or irreversible damage to theenvironment, lack of full scientific certainty shouldnot be used as a reason for postponingcost-effective measures to prevent environmentaldegradation.

Pressured Area Status: where a shortage ofaffordable housing creates difficulties in meetingdemand for social rented housing and where thesedifficulties have been exacerbated by theoperation of the Right to Buy (RTB), localauthorities may propose that specific areas bedesignated by the Scottish Government as"pressured areas" for purposes of suspending theRTB for some tenants.



Prime Agricultural Land: Classes 1, 2, and 3.1 ofthe Macaulay soil survey of Scotland. The classesare termed “land capability” reflecting the rangeof crops that the different soils could sustain.

Private Sector Housing: housing for sale or rentprovided by private developers or othercommercial organisations. The term'owner-occupied sector' excludes the privaterented element.

Proposal:a specific development project thatinvolves physical land use change.

Public Transport Infrastructure: all facilities usedby trains, buses and ferries.

Public Transport Integration: all modes of publictransport working together.

Public Transport Corridor: a route used by publictransport.

Ramsar Site: a wetland site for birds protectedthrough the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands ofInternational Importance (1971). These sitescontain habitats that have declined worldwideand are often important for waterfowl and otherwetland birds. Ramsar sites receive the same levelof legal protection as areas that have beendesignated as Special Protection Areas under theEC Birds Directive or Special Areas of Conservationunder the Habitats Directive

RCAHMS: the Royal Commission on the Ancientand HistoricalMonuments of Scotland (RCAHMS)is the public body responsible for recording,interpreting and collecting information about thebuilt environment.

Regeneration: bringing economic and socialactivity and environmental improvement into anarea.

Regionally Important Geological andGeomorphological Site (RIGS): a geological orgeomorphological site identified as being of localinterest or value in educational or research termsdue to its geology or geomorphology.Geomorphology is the science of the physicalfeatures of the earth (rocks, for example) on landand below water.

Registered Social Landlord: a landlord such as aHousing Association registered with and regulatedby the Scottish Housing Regulator or LocalAuthority such as Fife Council.

Regulations: laws that set down procedures thatpeople must adopt.

Renewable Energy: energy that flows from thesun, wind and water. Includes energy that can begenerated from renewable resources such as cropsand waste.

Retail Capacity Study: a retail study to assess thecapacity of an area to accommodate additionalshopping floorspace over a given period.

Retail Impact Assessment: a detailed appraisalof the effects of a proposed retail developmenton the existing shopping facilities within thecatchment of the proposal.

Retail Leakage: the net loss of retail expenditurefrom the population of a defined area to otherplaces outside that area.

Retail Warehouse: a large individual retail storewith at least 1,000 square metres of selling spacewith car parking, selling non-food goods such asDIY, furniture/carpets, electrical goods, gardeninggoods, and toys.

Review: the revision by the Council of an adoptedLocal Plan, or of an approved Structure Plan, witha view to publishing a replacement.

Right of Way: a right of passage over privateproperty by a route more or less defined, createdby usage which exists through common law.

Rural Economy: economic and employmentactivity that takes place in the countryside,includes agriculture, forestry, tourism and localfacilities.

Scheduled Ancient Monument: a monument,existing above or below ground, which by virtueof its national archaeological importance has beenstatutorily protected under theAncientMonuments and Archaeological Areas Act1979.



Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD):Scottish Government research that identifies themost deprived areas across Scotland. It is basedon 31 indicators in the six individual domains ofCurrent Income, Employment, Housing, Health,Education Skills and Training, and GeographicAccess to Services and Telecommunications, givinga comprehensive picture of relative deprivationacross Scotland.

Scottish Planning Policy (SPPs): guidance issuedby the Scottish Government and providingstatements of Government policy on nationallyimportant land use issues and other planningmatters, supported, where appropriate, by alocational framework. The Scottish Governmentis producing a single SPP in 2009 to replaceindividual SPPs and NPPGs.

Scottish Water: the government body responsiblefor the water network.

Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG):Scottish Government guidance refreshed byTransport Scotland in 2008 which involves theappraisal of generated options which couldpotentially address identified problems andopportunities against a range of criteria. Availableat www.transportscotland.gov.uk/scot-tag

Section 75 Agreement: legally bindingagreement under the terms of Section 75 of theTown and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997used to control appropriate planning mattersoutwith the scope of planning conditions. SeeCircular 12/1996.

SEPA: the Scottish Environment ProtectionAgency; the public body responsible forenvironmental protection in Scotland, establishedby the Environment Act 1995.

Sequential Approach: the preferred order ofpriority of locations for consideration of retail andassociated leisure proposals. The order ofpreference is 1, town centres, 2, edge-of-towncentres 3,,secondary shopping areas andneighbourhood centres, 4, commercial centres,and 5, out of centre.

Service Sector: enterprises that provide services(rather than or in addition to products).

SESplan: the name of the Strategic DevelopmentPlanning Authority (SDPA) for Edinburgh andSouth East Scotland. Membership comprises theCity of Edinburgh Council, East Lothian Council,Fife Council, Midlothian Council, the ScottishBorders Council and West Lothian Council. NorthFife is also a member of the TAYplan SDPA.

SESTRAN: The South East of Scotland TransportPartnership.

Settlement: term used to identify towns andvillages.

Settlement Envelope: The line drawn around atown or village in the Local Plan that defines whatis within the settlement and what is countryside. Also called Settlement Boundary

Shared Sources of Energy: usually refers tocombined heat and power plant shared by anumber of users.

Shared Ownership Housing: a mixed tenurebetween renting and home ownership.

Site of Importance for Nature Conservation(SINC): a site identified by a local authority asbeing of regional or local importance in terms ofits nature conservation interest.

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI): a sitenotified by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) underthe Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as an areaof land or freshwater or seawater to the Mean LowWater Mark of Ordinary Spring Tides, which in theview of SNH is of special interest in a nationalcontext. SSSIs form the main national designation,which underpins other designations includingthose of international status.

Small Housing Sites: housing sites of fewer than5 units.

Solar Power: can be used passively to heat andlight buildings and/or used to harness the sun’senergy by collecting and transforming it togenerate electricity.



Special Needs Housing: housing specificallyintended for use by particular groups (e.g. olderpeople with additional needs, those withdisabilities, people with learning difficulties).

Special Areas of Conservation (SACs): an areadefined by international statutory designation asimportant beyond its national context for theconservation of natural heritage, wildlife, habitats,geology or scenery.

Special Protection Areas (SPAs): an area definedby international statutory designation as importantbeyond its national context for the protection ofnatural heritage, wildlife, habitats, geology orscenery.

Strategic Development Framework: a frameworkto inform future more detailed masterplanningwork. It identifies appropriate areas fordevelopment and establishes core design anddevelopment principles. Not a Masterplan.

Strategic Development Plan: The Planning etc.(Scotland) Act 2006 provided for the replacementof Structure Plans and the creation of StrategicDevelopment Plans (SDPs). It gave Ministers thepower to designate groups of Planning Authoritiesto work together to prepare and review these newplans. Fife is involved in two of these; Tayplanwhich includes north Fife and SESplan whichincludes central and west Fife.

Strategic Employment Site: an allocation in theStructure Plan identified in the Local Plan. See alsoEmployment Land Audit

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA): anenvironmental assessment of certain plans andprogrammes which complies with the EU Directive2001/42/EC, carried out under the terms of theEnvironmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005.The environmental assessment involves thepreparation of an environmental report; carryingout of consultations; taking into account of theenvironmental report and the results of theconsultations in decision making; provision ofinformation when the plan or programme isadopted; showing that the results of theenvironment assessment have been taken intoaccount.

Special Landscape Area: A valuable locallandscape area that merits protection for its specialcharacter and qualities. (These supersede theformer Areas of Great Landscape Value.)

Strategic Land Allocation (SLA): an area fordevelopment allocated in the Fife Structure Plan2006-2026, with a minimum of 300 houses.

Strategic Transport Improvements: transportimprovements identified in the Fife Structure Plan2006- 2026 or the Fife Local Transport Strategy2006-2026.

Structure Plan: part of the Development Planprepared by the Council and setting out broadpolicy on matters such as housing, transport,infrastructure, economic development, and theenvironment. These will be replaced by StrategicDevelopment Plans.

Suburban Sprawl: the spreading of towns andsuburbs over rural countryside at the edge ofsettlements.

Supplementary Guidance: additional informationon a particular subject, subject to consultation andapproved by the Council.

Superstore: a single level self-service store sellingmainly food, or food and non-food goods, usuallywith at least 2,500 square metres of tradingfloorspace with dedicated car parking.

Sustainable Communities: usually communitiesthat have community facilities and employmentand are well served by public transport.

Sustainable Development: development thatmeets the needs of the present withoutcompromising the ability of future generations tomeet their own needs.

Sustainable Travel Options: usually walking,cycling or public transport.

Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS):technique for dealing with problems of floodingand surface water quality using the bestpracticable environmental solution.



TAYplan: the name of the Strategic DevelopmentPlanning Authority (SDPA) for Dundee, Perth,Angus and North Fife. Membership comprisesDundee City Council, Angus Council, Fife Counciland Perth and Kinross Council. Fife is also amember of the SESplan SDPA.

Townscape: a picture or view of a town or a partof a town.

Town and Village Boundaries: The line drawnaround a settlement (town or village) in the LocalPlan that defines what is within the settlementand what is countryside. Also known as aSettlement Envelope

Town Centre Action Plan: a means of identifying,addressing and implementing initiatives topromote and protect town centres.

Traffic Calming: measures, often applied inresidential areas, to reduce traffic speeds.

Transport Assessment: an assessment of the fulltransport impact of a development proposal.

Travel Plan: a plan or strategy that seeks to reducetravel for business purposes by car. It seeks toenhance opportunities for employees or visitorsto travel by walking, cycling or public transport.

Travel to Work Area (TTWA):Government-defined areas that show theemployment catchment of the main towns inScotland and which are used for presentingstatistical data on employment.

Tree Preservation Order (TPO): an order madeby the Council to ensure the efficient managementof a tree or a group of trees.

Trunk Road: a major road that is the responsibilityof the Scottish Government.

Undeveloped Coast: the coast outwithsettlements with a population greater than 2,000or areas of existing large-scale development forindustry, tourism and recreation, it includesagriculture and forestry land, low intensityrecreational uses and smaller settlements whichdepend on the coast for their livelihood.

Urban Capacity Study: an assessment of thepotential for further housing development withinsettlement boundaries, particularly on previouslydeveloped land and through conversions ofexisting buildings.

Urban Regeneration Company: a non-profitmaking company set up to encourage and deliverlocal or regional development.

Use Classes Order: The Town and CountryPlanning (Use Classes) (Scotland) Order, 1997defines 11 classes of development. Planningpermission is required to change uses betweenclasses.

Vacant and Derelict Land Survey: a surveyundertaken to establish the extent and state ofvacant and derelict land and the amount of landthat has been reclaimed since the previous survey.

Visibility Splays: these are areas around a roadjunction or access that should be free fromobstruction so that motorists can see traffic andpedestrians.

Waste Arising: all waste materials to be disposedof.

Waste Management: the reduction, re-use,recovery, treatment, and disposal of waste.

Windfall site: a site not specifically allocated fordevelopment in a Local Plan but for whichplanning permission for development is granted. For the purposes of the Structure Plan, it is a sitenot included in the base effective housing landsupply calculations.



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