Development 'commenced' between Crossford and Cairneyhill

Fife Council and a large number of villagers opposed the £25 million project, only for the Scottish Government to approve it on appeal.

The hopes of local objectors rose again last April when the developer, the Stewart Milne Group, confirmed they wouldn't be proceeding.

But the landowner, the Alfred Stewart Property Foundation, has been preparing the ground for work to take place with their agent informing the council that the development has "lawfully commenced", with the next step likely to be the appointment of a new housebuilder.

The site is just under 15 hectares of farmland between Crossford and Cairneyhill, with Pitconochie Farm to the north and the A994 road to the south.

The move was first mooted in 2015 and planning permission in principle was refused by the council in September 2018, after 139 letters of objection, as the proposals "did not address any identified housing land shortfall" and in the interest of preventing flood risk.

However, it was approved on appeal by the Scottish Government in December 2019.

A further application relating to the planning permission in principle, for a residential development of 212 homes with associated landscaping, open space, access, drainage and other infrastructure, was approved by the council in January 2022.

In April 2023 the Stewart Milne Group confirmed they were pulling out - they went into administration in January.

However the development was revived by the landowner and they began to tick off all of the pre-commencement conditions attached to both applications.

That's now been done - including details of wheel cleaning facilities, energy efficiency measures, public art provision and tree protection measures - and work on site including marking the primary access road was completed on January 12, seven days before permission was due to expire.

A legal agreement was signed earlier this month, confirming the affordable housing provision and financial contributions for education and transport improvements, as well as the amendment of a condition to do with drainage.

It was more of a technical matter, a change of wording to follow the most up-to-date guidance, but still attracted five objections.

There were concerns about road safety, the impact on the village schools and services, flooding and loss of woodland, as well as the developer having a "bad reputation" and belief that the agricultural land should not be developed.

There is still a question mark over flood prevention measures - the risk has been a particular concern of local residents in both villages - and the original plans to deal with surface water proposed a 700 metre long underground drainage pipe.

However the final 180m was through land they didn't own.

One of the landowners, Robert Forrester, of the Forrester Park Resort in Cairneyhill, told the Press he hadn't been approached by the developer and wouldn't give permission.

The site is owned by the foundation named after the millionaire property developer Alf Stewart, who died in 2008.

It also has plans to build 550 homes in Rosyth.

He left most of his £7m estate to the Alfred Stewart Trust, a charity he asked to be set up to fund or support medical research and other charitable activities.

In 2013 four of his children failed in a legal bid to have his will overturned, after unsuccessfully arguing that he was suffering from delusional thinking when he changed it.

The Court of Session judge, Lord Brailsford, had described the late businessman as a "sexual predator" but said that although his behaviour was "repugnant" it did not mean he lacked capacity.

Later, amid concerns about "misconduct" by those running the trust and its subsidiary companies, the law society sought a judicial factor to "protect the assets" of the estate.

Aver Chartered Accountants became a permanent appointment in February 2015.