Kelty: Plan for holiday lodges and cafe at old railway site

Derek Timmons, the contact for the applicant, outlined proposals to add an office, shop, car-parking, access and landscaping to the Great North Road site, which is north of Lochore Meadows Country Park.

The land was occupied formerly by Kelty North junction and sidings.

The plans are in the early stage with a preliminary application, requesting a scoping of the land, submitted to Fife Council.

Last August, the local authority advised Mr Timmons that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would be required for the proposed development.

The scoping request follows on from that and will determine the most critical environmental issues to focus on for an EIA report, which is likely to include input from the local community and other bodies.

Air quality and land quality are two of the issues and remedial action may be required to reduce any identified risks at the site.

A council report said: “Due to the age of the buildings currently or previously on site, it is possible that the building fabric included asbestos.

“Any asbestos containing materials encountered should be the subject of appropriate removal and disposal arrangements in consultation with SEPA and HSE to prevent asbestos getting into the soil.”

The council has advised that planning conditions are required to ensure the safe development of the site. The Railscot website says that Kelty North junction opened in 1862 and was operational until 1970.

It was a six-way junction north of Kelty’s railway station with branch lines connecting to Blairadam Colliery, Glenfarg, Lochore, the West of Fife railway, Kelty South junction and Cowdenbeath, and the Aitken Colliery, all of which are now closed.

Kelty’s railway station opened in 1860 and closed in 1930.

Back in 2016, the Press reported that Railfuture Scotland, a rail pressure group, had backed a part re-built, part new 41km line for a faster, direct connection between Perth and Dunfermline with a re-opened station at Kelty.