THE demolition of flats in Inverkeithing's Fraser Avenue began on Monday.

In March 2015, Fife Council agreed to a full demolition and complete redevelopment of Fraser Avenue for low rise housing, to be developed by Kingdom Housing Association.

The new housing will be developed over four phases. Phase 1 of the programme will see 75 flats and two semi-detached properties demolished, along with the lock-up sites in Fraser Avenue.

This will make way for Kingdom Housing Association to begin phase one of the new-build plan which will deliver 53 new homes for social rent. These will include a mixture of houses, bungalows and four-in-a-block cottage flats of different sizes, with 52 of these new homes being allocated to tenants from Fraser Avenue who wish to remain in the street.

Work will begin on site with temporary security fencing being installed for public safety before the contractor begins to 'soft strip' the flats. This involves the removal of doors, windows, skirting boards, kitchen units and sanitary fittings.

Once this phase is complete, bulldozers will be used to physically demolish the buildings, with the roof first then a floor at a time. The material will be crushed and used to backfill voids resulting from removal of foundations with any excess material being removed off site. Demolition work is expected to take approximately eight weeks to complete.

Councillor Judy Hamilton, executive spokesperson for housing and building services, said: “The demolition of these flats is making way for a brand-new development of fit-for-purpose housing.

“The new homes will be the first affordable housing completed in Inverkeithing since 2010 and the properties will contribute to meeting the wider housing needs in the pressured Inverkeithing area.

“It has been a major achievement getting phase one ready to demolish this year and I would like to thank everyone involved, particularly the tenants and residents directly affected. Without their co-operation, we wouldn’t have reached this stage in the development.”

Bill Banks, chief executive of Kingdom Housing Association, added: "The demolition is another exciting milestone in the regeneration of the area which will pave the way for the construction of the first phase of new high-quality homes which is expected to start in January 2017. The new housing will meet the needs of the returning tenants and has been developed in consultation with the tenants and the local community.

"The project has provide an opportunity to really engage with the local community on the proposals for the area and in addition to the new homes that will be provided, there will be various community benefits initiatives developed in the area.

"Inverkeithing benefits from already having a number of partnership groups and forums who progress community initiatives in the area and I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Fife Council and all the other stakeholders and community representatives who are actively participating in the delivery of the regeneration project".