THERE are plans to build 2000 new homes as well as shops and offices in the south-west of Dunfermline on Lord Elgin’s land.

The massive development, which would be roughly double the size of Cairneyhill, is being proposed for the Broomhall estate.

Broomhall Home Form Partnership are behind the plans, which would bring thousands of jobs, and Edinburgh firm RFA Development Consultants set out the proposals on their behalf.

They explained, “The proposed development at Broomhall is for approximately 2000 homes, including circa 58 hectares for the landscape framework and 60 hectares for employment land. “Supporting infrastructure will also form part of the proposal such as roads, services, utilities and neighbourhood shopping centres.

“It is proposed that a masterplan be prepared for the entire Broomhall site and submitted in support of a planning application for planning permission in principle. This will form the basis for phased development across the site.” Broomhall is the ancestral home of the Earl of Elgin, a descendant of King Robert the Bruce, and the proposed site is 236 hectares in size.

Stirling Developments Ltd, based in Guildhall Street, acquired land and development rights over the estate.

Primarily agricultural land, the site contains a number of farm buildings and rural residential properties while both Grange Road and Limekilns Road run north-south through it.

RFA explained, “Its eastern boundary is marked by the Fife Circle railway line, to the south and west is land designated as both greenbelt and a local landscape area. The northern boundary is the Longannet/Dunfermline freight railway line and Scotland Gas Networks’ gasworks site.” Broomhall was allocated for residential and commercial development in the Dunfermline and West Fife local plan of 2012 and has been included in the new FIFEplan, which will map out what can be built and where over the next decade. As part of their long-term planning, Fife Council set out ‘strategic land allocations’ for 4200 new homes to be built to the north, west and south-west of Dunfermline.

The largest parcels of land are at Wellwood, where Perth firm I&H Brown have already submitted plans to build 1100 homes, a primary school, employment land and an urban park, and Broomhall.

RFA said, “The impacts and requirements associated with the increase in population on existing schools, community facilities, healthcare facilities etc has already been considered.

“Such impacts on existing facilities are considered acceptable given the development and its capacity is approved within the existing development plan for the area. “Potential environmental impacts (noise, air quality etc) on existing sensitive land uses will be assessed and mitigation measures implemented where appropriate.” The partnership suggested an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would be required before a planning application could be submitted and Fife Council has agreed.

Setting out their reasons, the council said the development “would have a significant visual impact” and was close to designated greenbelt and the local landscape area, while there may be “protected species or habitats on the site”.

There would also be “significant additional traffic” generated by the development which “may affect the whole town and the extended road network”. The council said, “The environmental impacts arising from this could be significant and merit examination through the EIA process.” A statement added that the site was close to two “hazardous” installations, the Rosyth naval base and the gas holder, and there could be ground stability issues due to old underground mineworkings.

It said, “There are several sites within the proposal boundary that indicate a risk on contamination. Again, due to the scale of the development and the interaction of the various uses, the potential environmental impacts of developing in the vicinity of these manmade hazards should be addressed.”