Housing refusal contested

A house builder has taken its bid to construct 18 homes at Kingsbarns to the Scottish Government.

Ogilvie Homes was refused detailed planning consent by Fife Council for the development on land to the west of the village and north of Station Road.

It hopes a reporter will overturn the decision and give the go-ahead for the second phase of its expansion of the village, where it recently completed 22 houses south of Station Road.

The single-storey and a one-and-a-half storey homes proposed were rejected by the council’s north-east development committee, deemed inappropriate for the area and overbearing.

Ogilvie Homes pointed out that planning officers had recommended approval and argued that the committee had given no evidence for its reasons for refusal.

Defending the decision, the council said the proposed development failed to achieve the strong relationship with Kingsbarns’ traditional street layout which the first phase has.

Planning permission in principle for the second phase was granted at appeal on condition that the houses were single storey.

Kingsbarns Community Council claimed that the developer “again refuses to understand the sensitivity of this site and what it means to build adjacent to a conservation area and listed buildings”.