PREPARATIONS for the building of 1,400 new homes in Dunfermline are about to get underway.
And the first phase of Taylor Wimpey's development in the north of the city will see Whitefield Road "re-routed" and a section of the long-awaited Northern Link Road (NLR) delivered.
They're going to build houses on a huge swathe of land between Halbeath and Kingseat and this week councillors gave the go-ahead for the site infrastructure needed for phase one.
As well as drainage, sewers, earthworks, landscaping, public art, open space, contamination and remediation, that includes new footpaths, cycleways, the construction of roads, changes to Whitefield Road and an upgrade at the junction with Robertson Road.
Pauline Mills, technical director at Taylor Wimpey East Scotland, described it as a "significant step" and added: “We are very pleased to be continuing to make good progress in the preparations required to create our new Whitefields neighbourhood in Dunfermline.
“It’s great news for the progress of this development to confirm that our AMSC (Approval of Matters Specified in Conditions) application to Fife Council for site infrastructure has been approved, which allows us to begin our programme of work later this year.
"Following the conclusion of the planning application process for our outstanding application for the first 161 new homes, we hope to be in a position to start building the first new homes at Whitefields next spring."
The first 161 properties will be two, three, four and five-bedroom houses and include 93 affordable homes for Fife Council tenants.
That's expected to take until 2027 with a further 228 homes slated for completion by 2030, when the first phase should be finished.
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Grouting and site investigation works have been ongoing and what locals will see next will be changes to the local road network.
Planning officer Katherine Pollock told the west and central planning committee: "Firstly Whitefield Road will be re-routed through the middle of phase one, providing that north-south link, up to the Northern Link Road along the north-western boundary of the site.
"There will be a signalised junction created with the NLR at this spot.
"On the west side of the site, the existing Robertson Road roundabout will be upgraded and at the existing Whitefield Road / Queen Margaret Fauld junction - the north junction - a mini-roundabout will be built out."
She said the very top section of Whitefield Road will be stopped up and used by pedestrians and cyclists only.
The first section of the NLR, which will have a junction with the re-routed Whitefield Road, will be a wider and improved section of what is currently the B912 Kingseat Road.
Ms Mills said they will deliver transport infrastructure improvements and there will be "substantial community benefits".
Taylor Wimpey also wanted to make a number of changes to the previously approved development framework which covers the whole of the site - such as an increase in the number of houses to be delivered in phase one from 340 to 389 and changes to the open space - and they were also approved.
Planning permission in principle was granted in January 2019 despite 153 objections.
As well as 1,400 houses - 25 per cent (350) will be affordable homes - Whitefields includes a new primary school, shops, employment land and community facilities.
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