WHITEBURN has revealed it has received detailed planning consent from Fife Council for a new development comprising 73 homes in the grounds of the former Viewforth High School in Kirkcaldy.
The Edinburgh-based developer said a Section 75 legal agreement with the local authority will see Whiteburn build 15 affordable homes for Kingdom Housing Association. Whiteburn will also make a financial contribution towards education to provide for the temporary expansion of Sinclairtown Primary School until a new school is built as part of the Local Development Plan.
Roger Bainbridge, director of design and delivery for Whiteburn Projects, said, “Our timescales for this project have been impacted by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, but we are delighted to have finally presented our proposals to the planning committee at Fife Council and for them to have granted planning consent. Working with our architects LBA and following some helpful feedback from various members of the local community as part of our public consultation events, our development design will transform the grounds of the former Viewforth High School in Kirkcaldy.
“Importantly, it is hoped that some features from the former C listed school building, which was victim of arson in August 2020, can still form part of our vision for the development. We will work with Fife Council to submit a planning application for new homes in this area of the development as part of our masterplan for the overall regeneration of the site.”
MD Eve McCurrich added, “Our key objective is to breathe new life into this part of Kirkcaldy and to create a great place for people to live. Our planning consent is a real milestone for this development, and our Section 75 commitments will have a direct and positive impact in the local community. We are excited to finally be in a position to begin making our plans to transform the site, and we expect to begin pre-construction works within the next few months. We will now move forward with our tendering processes, and I would be keen to hear from any local suppliers and subcontractors who would like to work on our Viewforth development.”