THE James Bank Hostel in Dunfermline is to be transformed into flats.

The Kingdom Housing Association, a registered social landlord with charitable status, has been given the go ahead to create 12 mid-market flats at the premises.

The north block of the building is currently a housing support hostel for people experiencing homelessness.

The overall aim of the service was to “assist people who are homeless to address and resolve their living situation through assisting them to access short term accommodation and providing support to ensure their health, wellbeing and safety”.

However, according to planning papers, the support service is not currently well used.

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“The supported flats are now vacant and only a few rooms in the Hostel are occupied,” a planning statement said.

“It is proposed that the remaining services operated from the James Bank Centre be transferred to other Kingdom Support and Care buildings and that the existing building be repurposed to provide 12 mid-market flats for Kingdom Housing Association.”

The southern block, which was previously part of the housing support service, has already been repurposed to become eight supported living flats.

Now, the KHA also has permission to transform the homeless hostel in the northern block into 12 mid-market flats.

“The proposal seeks to make a positive contribution and provide much needed high quality affordable residential properties for the Kingdom Housing Association,” a planning statement said.

“One of the main aims of this project is to significantly reduce the building’s reliance on imported energy and fulfil Kingdom Housing Association’s requirements of obtaining an Operational (Energy) ‘Net Zero’ building.”

The statement continued: “This will ensure the building is environmentally and financially sustainable for years to come and has no reliance on fossil fuels.”

The plans will see the north block repurposed, upgraded and converted into 12 mid-market flats.

The external appearance of the building, alongside of insulation, will be improved; new windows and doors will be installed, solar panels will be built in to help the block meet net-zero targets and air source heat pumps will also be installed.

The proposals will also see the existing single storey reception building between the north and south blocks demolished to form three new flats within this area.

Planners said the proposal would “result in the redevelopment and reuse of a town centre building” without creating “any significant impacts” for nearby residents.

The KHA has planning permission to begin the hostel’s transformation sometime in the next three years.