TAYLOR WIMPEY said they will be working on their new housing site in Inverkeithing for five YEARS.

They're building 295 new homes at Spencerfield, opposite the high school, and have also warned children to steer clear for safety reasons.

Work started last week and the company's Alan Rogers told Fife Council in a letter that they would be on site at Hillend Road "for an approximate duration of 260 weeks".

He added: "As we will shortly commence construction work at the site, we wish to emphasise that the work will include excavations and other operations of a nature whereby children playing on or around the site could be injured.

"Due to the inherent dangers associated with construction sites, warning notices will be placed around the site and security fencing will fully enclose all dangerous activity.

"We do not allow children or anybody else at any time to come onto the site for play or any other purpose not connected with the company's operations."

Taylor Wimpey want the council to warn pupils at Inverkeithing High and Mr Rogers said: "This letter is written to enlist your support and co-operation to prevent the possibility of accidents to children arising out of their unauthorised presence on site.

"We encourage local authorities to alert schools near our developments to the possible dangers and obtain their co-operation in keeping schoolchildren away from the site.

"Where appropriate, we would be pleased to visit the local schools and speak to the children or arrange a visit to the site."

The first properties on the controversial development; two-, three- and four- and five-bedroom homes are being built, will go on sale this month after the company won a long battle for approval.

Plans for 450 homes were refused in 2013 by the council as the site was not included in the local development plan – FIFEplan – which maps out what can be built and where, and an appeal to the Scottish Government was unsuccessful.

Revised plans for 295 homes, prompting the establishment of a Save Spencerfield group, were submitted in 2015 and were refused by councillors.

This time, an appeal proved successful with the reporter overruling the council and granting planning permission.

As part of the planning agreement, Taylor Wimpey is contributing £583,600 toward transportation improvements in the area.