TV presenter JJ Chalmers has plans approved for new Dunfermline home
DUNFERMLINE veteran and TV presenter JJ Chalmers has got the green light for his plans to build a new family home next to the Glen.
The former Royal Marine, who starred in Strictly Come Dancing three years ago and features in the BBC’s Gardeners’ World, had sought planning permission from Fife Council for a plot on West Nethertown Street.
It’s a large plot, 2,370 square metres in size, which is just a stone’s throw from the gates to Pittencrieff Park.
As well as building a new twostorey house, which would have four to five bedrooms, the plans include an attached studio with office, gym/games room and a double garage, as well as solar panels and landscaping.
A council report said: “The proposed use would be in-keeping with the surrounding area which largely comprises of residential developments.
“In addition, Dunfermline contains a number of local amenities within close proximity including a train station, primary and secondary schools, doctors surgery, open space and restaurants.”
The land, which formerly belonged to the owners of Nethertown Lodge, was described as underdeveloped and unused vacant land. The new house will be nine metres in height at its tallest point.
A number of moves to develop the site have been made in the past seven years and planning permission in principle, for two houses plus a studio, was approved in May 2022.
However an application for full planning permission was then withdrawn by JJ’s agents after concerns by council planners that the site would be overdeveloped.
The council report also noted: “The site lies within the Dunfermline Archaeological Area of Regional Importance and within the conservation area.
“The proposed access to the site (although not the houses themselves) lies within Pittencrieff Park Inventory Garden and Designed Landscape.
“Fife Council’s archaeology officer was consulted on this application and advised that the site was never part of the core medieval burgh of Dunfermline and it is unlikely that any significant archaeological deposits exist on site.”