LOCAL residents got their first look at plans for the best part of 200 new homes in Aberdour.
Cala Homes held a public consultation meeting in the village on Monday regarding proposals for the 135 acre site at Hillside School.
Planning permission in principle is already in place, granted by Fife Council in 2021, but this was for 125 homes and the firm are now looking at around 190.
Cala, who have teamed up with landowner Anne Harvey for the development, will now gauge and assess the feedback before submitting a planning application to Fife Council in June.
Chair of Aberdour Community Council, Iain Fleming, said: "I had advanced notice they were going to up the numbers but it's still tentative, we'll have to wait for the more detailed plans but I don't think that's the final number.
"The consultation event was very well attended. They had a big team there and it was needed as a lot of people had a lot of questions.
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"The change in the number of houses seems to be offset by the change of house type, in that they're going to provide more smaller units, more two- and three-bedroom homes rather than all four- and five-bedroom homes.
"In that way, they say the footprint of the development has actually reduced by eight acres from their previous plans."
Cala, who have almost finished building 85 homes at the east end of the village, say 25 per cent of the units at Hillside will be affordable homes.
The development will help finance the building of a replacement school - it's a residential facility for boys with additional support needs that the Care Inspectorate recently expressed "serious concerns" about - in the north-west corner of the site.
Fife Council twice rejected plans for housebuilding on the site but it was approved on appeal by the Scottish Government.
Sepa and the council had both objected due to flooding concerns and Cala said they have looked at a range of issues before coming up their proposals.
Mr Fleming said there were also fears about increased levels of traffic and pressure on roads and junctions, particularly at Mill Farm Road and Main Street, and the impact on services and infrastructure in the village.
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He added that there was a need for affordable homes and smaller houses, to ensure local people aren't priced out of the village and enabling residents to free up larger family homes by downsizing into a smaller property while remaining in Aberdour.
Cala are already contributing financially, with £2,000 a year handed over to help support local groups and organisations, and given the near certainty that the development will go ahead there is a feeling that maintaining a positive relationship will bring benefits.
Mr Fleming said: "They have engaged with the community when there was no obligation to do so, that was the case at Main Street too, and we've worked hard with them to keep them engaged and speaking to us.
"That way we can highlight issues and try to overcome problems. The development is contentious and there are a lot of questions yet to be answered.
"There is a balance. They already have planning permission in principle so it's about trying to work with them to make it the best it can be and help support the village in that way."
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