Would you like to live next to a recycling centre?

That could be the scenario facing potential housebuyers if a major development gets the go-ahead in Dalgety Bay.

Larbert-based Springfield Properties wants to build around 50 homes, a commercial/business unit and associated works at the former Cemtron site in Hillend industrial estate.

The firm has applied for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the 2.54-hectare site, currently occupied by internet TV firm Exterity Ltd.

In its design statement to Fife Council, Springfield’s consultants Holder Planning say the development is considered to be “low impact”, but Dalgety Bay and Hillend Community Council disagrees.

Community council chair Colin McPhail told the Press, “Springfield Properties gave a presentation at our community council meeting in April.

“We considered it and made a response and recognised that site should be kept for employment use.

“We have nothing against the commercial premises proposed there but the housing becomes a further encroachment into the industrial estate.” Mr McPhail referenced the 2008 decision by Scottish Ministers to allow 80 homes to be built on the old OCLI site at the eastern end of the industrial estate, following an appeal by Cala Homes after Fife Council knocked back the plans to safeguard employment land in Dalgety Bay.

He does not want to see history repeat itself and referred to Fife Council’s Hillend and Donibristle Industrial Estates (HADIE) report, undertaken last year to look at improvements and regeneration of both estates.

He said, “That report suggested there should be no further encroachment into the industrial estate.

“Would you like to have a house next to the recycling centre? There’s a lot of noise from that, it’s not an ideal place for houses.

“Springfield say they’re going to have screening with trees but to the north, south and west it’s bordered by the industrial estate.

“There has to be an employment facility within Dalgety Bay and what the industrial estate needs is a regeneration, not a reduction, for residential housing.

“The more housing you get, the more pressure it puts on health, education and public services and it reduces the opportunities for local employment.

“What we need to avoid is companies like Rolls-Royce, Ingenico and BAE Systems thinking, ‘Hang on, we’re surrounded by housing, we had better move’.” Springfield’s design statement concluded, “The proposed development will not result in any possible hazardous or significant adverse environmental effects and the site is neither designated as an environmentally sensitive area or close to one that it might have an adverse impact upon.

“Any effects arising from development will be local to the immediate vicinity of the site and are not complex – no valuable or scarce resources will be affected.

“There will be no cumulative impact with other development projects in the locality.”