A DEVELOPER wants to build up to 200 houses at Crossford – on a site Fife Council has already rejected.

The Stewart Milne Group are readying a planning application for Pitconochie Farm, on the western edge of the village, despite the fact it’s not in the latest development plan.

Residents were “delighted” when it was ruled out as a potential housing site last year but they are set for a fresh battle as that decision could yet be overturned.

Councillor Bob Young said, “I haven’t a clue why the developer has done this. I can’t see the point and I’m kind of annoyed about it.

“It was taken off the plan last year so that should have been the end of it.” Pitconochie Farm was one of eight plots of land in West Fife that were removed from the council’s list of potential housing sites in September.

Consultation on the new Fife Plan, which will dictate what is built and where over the next decade, finished last month and the site was not in the proposed plan.

The council had previously allocated land around Dunfermline for 4200 homes – yet to be built – under the Dunfermline and West Fife Local Plan, adopted in 2012.

However, the Fife Plan supersedes it and the Scottish Government wants the local authority to find new plots for a further 2500 houses.

That’s led to more sites being suggested – including some the council previously rejected.

The Stewart Milne Group are set to test the council’s resolve with plans for around 200 homes on a 14-hectare site between the A994 and the farmhouse.

Run by Mr Milne, a multi-millionaire who is also Aberdeen FC chairman, they have asked Fife Council for a screening opinion.

The aim of this process is to identify which projects require an environmental impact assessment before a planning application is submitted.

Access to the site would be from the A994, new pedestrian and cycle routes would be included as well as landscaping and sustainable urban drainage systems.

Robin Mitchell, of PPCA town planning consultants, said on the group’s behalf that the development “would be able to integrate well with Crossford” and would provide much-needed “public green space”.

He highlighted a previous council assessment of the land which said there was no known flood risk associated with the site and development would have no significant effects on the environment.

Mr Mitchell also noted it was “prime quality land” and that a transport assessment would be needed.

Crossford Community Council are continuing to object to any plans to build on the site – as are a number of residents – due to concerns about merging with Cairneyhill, transport, access and drainage issues.

There are also plans for development further along the A994, on the eastern edge of Cairneyhill, where Muir Homes want to build around 100 new homes.

When Pitconochie Farm was removed from the Fife Plan, Cllr Young had said the villagers were “delighted”.

He had added, “Nobody wanted it. There was no support for it at all.

“If you start building on the west side of Crossford and the east side of Cairneyhill, the two are going to start linking up and you’re just going to get one big village.” Last week we reported that another developer, Persimmon Homes, wanted to build 100 homes on another potential housing site – Barns Farm in Dalgety Bay – that was removed from the Fife Plan in September.