A DEVELOPER is looking for permission to start the last phase of the Fraser Avenue housing regeneration project in Inverkeithing.
Campion Homes is seeking Fife Council approval to build 44 affordable homes on the site.
The proposal is the third and final phase of the “wider masterplan" for the redevelopment of Fraser Avenue, which was approved almost a decade ago and will eventually see 236 old and unpopular flats replaced by 158 modern homes.
It will build upon "the principles established and enshrined” in the first two phases and in the planning permission in principle.
“The design principles aim to transform Fraser Avenue from an unpopular housing estate into an attractive neighbourhood,” a planning statement said. “They provide comfortable, secure new homes for the residents.
“The phase three proposals form part of a wider site masterplan which will complete the redevelopment of the whole of the existing Fraser Avenue site including areas to the south.”
When it was approved in March 2015, it was described as one of the biggest regeneration projects in Scotland and involved the full demolition of the flats on Fraser Avenue.
The council admitted that decanting almost 200 tenants, knocking down so many homes and building new ones had posed "major challenges" and the project has faced delays, with much of that down to the pandemic.
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If approved, Campion Homes would have permission to build 44 new affordable houses; a total of 101 parking spaces; access points, roads, drainage and landscaping features.
According to planning papers, the previous form of Fraser Avenue was a “long and unbroken” street with “isolating” house fronts that created a “canyon like impression”.
“The existing buildings were in poor condition with no definition between fronts and backs,” the statement continued.
It was originally built in the mid-1950s and it primarily consisted of three-storey blocks of flats.
However, 50 years on and the area was ranked as one of the most deprived areas of Scotland and the council decided to knock it all down and start again.
“Due to low demand and high turnover the decision was made to demolish the existing flats in three phases, replacing these with new high quality and sustainable affordable housing,” Kingdom Housing Association explained.
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The regeneration project began in earnest seven years ago.
Phase one saw the demolition of existing properties in February 2017 which were eventually replaced with 53 new affordable homes and three new shops – a Stephens bakery, Shad Superstore and Goodfryers Chip Shop. The second phase provided 61 new homes for social rent.
The third and final phase of demolitions began in late 2022 and now Campion are looking for the go-ahead to replace them with 44 affordable homes.
“All proposed housing is to be affordable in mixed tenure, with socially rented properties in the northern section of the site, and mid market rent to the south,” planning papers explained.
If the plans are approved as is, the site would include a mix of two and three-bedroom amenity and wheelchair bungalows; two-bed cottage flats; and two, three, four and five-bed houses.
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