PLANS to build two shops on the site of former pub The Millers in Dunfermline have been approved by Fife Council.

East End Inn Ltd, of Garvock Hill, will develop the plot of land on the corner of Woodmill Road and Blacklaw Road.

The Millers closed and an application to knock it down was tabled in March 2007.

It was later demolished and will be replaced by one building, split into two retail units, with a store room, 18 car-parking spaces, landscaping, a seated area at Woodmill Road and a new access from Blacklaw Road.

There was a previous plan, approved in 2010, to build 11 flats on the site but it didn’t go ahead and permission lapsed.

The latest plan is to build on the cleared site, which is next to the former Brucefield Hotel, a category C-listed building that has been converted into flats.

Eight letters of objection raised concerns about access issues, an increase in traffic and road safety, a lack of car parking and a rise in noise, litter and anti-social behaviour.

There were fears the shops would attract youths and become a “hang out area” while others said there was no need for the retail units and the land should be used for housing.

A council report acknowledged: “Concerns have been raised over anti-social behaviour and associated noise, particularly to the Woodmill Road side of the development.

“In relation to the hard landscaped area with seating, this is located in a prominent position next to a busy road. This high visibility and lack of ‘private’ or ‘hidden’ space is considered to minimise the risk of anti-social behaviour occurring.”

The transportation department said the proposals were acceptable and the report added that there would be no cooking odour issues for local residents as the plan is for class 1 retail use, which does not include the sale of hot food.

East End Inn Ltd received permission in 2016 to convert the East End Inn, at Mercer Place in Touch, an empty pub which was previously known as Noddy’s Neuk.

It opened as a One Stop, they are a subsidiary of Tesco, in February last year.