BUILDING work on around 1,700 new homes in West Fife will be delayed further despite the developer re-starting operations in England and Wales.

Taylor Wimpey will be back on site from May 4 but couldn't give a date for when they will begin in Scotland – while the Scottish Government has maintained non-essential construction sites should remain closed to protect workers' health.

The company started building 295 homes at Spencerfield, in Inverkeithing, while planning permission is in place for 1,400 new homes and a £10 million primary school on land between Kingseat and Halbeath.

In a statement, Taylor Wimpey said: "From the week commencing May 4, we will start the process of remobilisation of construction, with the support of our site management team, in a controlled and managed way, on the majority of our sites in England and Wales.

"This decision is based on current government guidance and medical advice and, if this was to tighten further, we would conduct a further review.

"At this stage, we do not expect to start work in Scotland until a return to construction receives the Scottish Government’s support."

The company announced on March 24 that they were stopping work due to the coronavirus but are "now confident that we have clear plans and processes in place so we can safely start back on site in a phased way".

Taylor Wimpey said there would be "detailed new site operating protocols developed in compliance with strict social distancing requirements" and that sales centres, show homes and regional offices would remain closed.

But with no start date in Scotland, it's not clear when work at Spencerfield will re-start.

Taylor Wimpey finally got approval to develop the land – they're building two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes, in 2018 after a long, drawn-out saga.

Work began last summer and, at the time, the company said that they'd be on site, opposite Inverkeithing High School, for five years.

That may now be longer.

Work has yet to start on a much bigger project, up the road in Dunfermline, where planning permission is in place for 1,400 houses and a new £10m primary school on 80 hectares of agricultural land between Kingseat and Halbeath.

The proposals include access roads and land set aside for retail, employment and community facilities, while the £14m-plus Northern Link Road will pass through the site.

The plans were approved by the council in January 2019, despite 153 objections.

Last week, Unite Scotland said all non-essential construction sites must remain closed in Scotland to keep construction workers and their families safe.

Regional co-ordinator Steven Dillion said: “Unite’s members and their families must be protected.

"There is absolutely no benefit of trying to force workers back to work when their health is not protected.

"The construction industry has enough hazards as it is without throwing a deadly virus into the mix."

Kevin Stewart, minister for local government, housing and planning, said: “The advice to close all but essential construction sites is based on public health grounds.

"That remains the Scottish Government’s position.

“We expect all non-essential businesses to adopt a precautionary approach by remaining closed to protect the lives of their workers and their families.

"On that basis, we hope and expect that businesses will comply voluntarily.

“It is only when we are sure the virus is fully under control that we can begin to ease any of the restrictions.

"In the meantime, we are working closely with the industry on plans to restart work safely when the expert advice supports that.”

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