Housing plans for a 30% increase to town

THREE separate planning applications relating to the controversial Cupar North development are now open for public comments.

Community members can share their views on the updated bid for almost 1,500 houses, submitted to Fife Council last month.

And amended applications for two new roundabouts at either end of the proposed relief road have also been published.

The three-arm eastern roundabout is now earmarked for a site closer to Cupar than originally planned, due to land ownership issues.

Fife Council has extended the consultation period for all three from the standard 30 days to eight weeks, given the scale of the proposals.

The main Cupar North bid alone – which would increase the size of Cupar by 30% – includes 900 documents.

However, planning officers warn anyone wishing to support or object to any of the three plans must comment on each one individually.

Andtheyadd:“combined representations covering all three cannot be accepted because they are legally three individual applications.”

Formal consultation will end on Saturday June 29.

Councillors are likely to be asked for a decision later this year.

The Cupar North plan, led by Persimmon Homes, has been rumbling on for 15 years.

It includes hundreds of houses on farmland on the town’s northern edge.

Developers say it will help tackle Fife’s housing emergency by providing more homes, 300 of which will be affordable.

It also moots a primary school, hotel, leisure facilities and a petrol station.

However, there are no plans for healthcare facilities. And the relief road does not need to be built until the completion of the 600th house.

Almost 500 people objected to the proposal in 2022 before it was amended. Many of the objections relate to flooding fears, school capacity issues and concerns health services would be swamped.