WEST FIFE is set to receive a jobs boost bonanza as Fife Council gave the thumbs up to plans to redevelop Longannet.

More than 1,000 direct positions will be created by Spanish firm Talgo, who are now poised to build a world-class train manufacturing plant at the former power station site.

The train-maker, together with Scottish Enterprise and Transport Scotland, signed a jointly-agreed framework in October for the establishment of Longannet as Talgo UK's manufacturing base.

And on Wednesday last week, Scottish Enterprise's application was given the green light by the council's Central and West area planning committee.

Fife Council co-leader Councillor David Ross said: “The Longannet site is nationally-significant and critically-important locally.

"The planning permission granted today marks a significant step forward in the journey towards creating new employment and economic opportunities in the Kincardine area and beyond."

Fellow co-leader Cllr David Alexander added: “Planning application approval will see approximately 74 hectares of the site made available for investors into the Kingdom and will boost the economy within South and West Fife and across the wider region.

“We also seek to secure secondary investment within Fife, recognising that the Longannet site and its infrastructure connections give rise to significant opportunities across the wider area."

Scottish Enterprise's application sought to redevelop the former Longannet Power Station site, with a mix of business, general industrial use, and storage and distribution.

Achieving planning consent is part of a programme to ensure that Talgo UK will be ready to deliver contracts that the company is currently bidding for, which includes the £2.7 billion HS2 railway project.

Talgo announced in November last year that Longannet was their preferred destination to build a base to develop their signature high-speed trains.

The former power station was closed by Scottish Power in March 2016 and the demolition of its buildings continues with hopes the phase will be completed by 2020-21.

Jon Veitch, Talgo UK managing director, is delighted that approval for the site has now been granted.

He commented: "I want to pay tribute to all who have worked hard to ensure that a compliant and environmentally-sensitive application was submitted and approved.

"By taking part of the site, Talgo UK can now continue to develop our plan to bring ‘true manufacturing’ back to the UK rail industry – sourcing from the UK supply-chain, and keeping more money in the local, regional and national economies of the UK.

"Talgo UK's factory, once implemented, will create 1,000 jobs on site and many thousands more will be created or protected in the supply-chain.

"I am conscious of the great responsibility that we have, to ensure that our plans are delivered sensitively and sympathetically to the environment and also to the heritage of the area.

"We will share more of our thoughts in due course and ensure that we engage with local people and their representatives, to keep them fully informed as further developments occur."

Mr Veitch told the Press last week that work on building the site could begin in the summer.

"We're hoping to have spades in the ground in June," he said.

The factory is expected to take between 18 and 20 months to construct.

Paul Lewis, managing director of international economic development at Scottish Enterprise, said: "This planning approval is a really exciting development for the communities of Fife and well beyond.

"The Longannet site is of strategic importance to the Scottish economy, and we are committed to ensuring it is redeveloped for future industrial use, delivering investment, jobs and further benefits."

News of site approval has been welcomed by Fife politicians and groups.

Newly-re-elected MP for Dunfermline and West Fife Douglas Chapman said: "The 1,000 jobs that have been promised by the Spanish train manufacturer will provide a real boost to the local West Fife economy.

“As former mining areas, villages like Kincardine, Oakley and Valleyfield have a rich commitment to hard work and they are still full of talented people."

Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Mark Ruskell commented: "The prospect of 1,000 skilled jobs coming to Longannet is a huge boost to communities in Clackmannanshire and West Fife.

"The development also opens up the possibility of reopening the Dunfermline to Alloa and Stirling rail route which will once again connect communities along the now largely-defunct freight line."

The Coalfields Regeneration Trust, which has its Scottish headquarters in Kincardine, believes the redevelopment will be a "massive boost to the local economy".

“The area has a ready supply of skilled labour and good transport links to the rest of the country but communities have been badly affected by the closure of the coal-fired power station more than three years ago.

“The redevelopment of the site, including the Talgo factory, will help rejuvenate such communities and build on the work we do to support former mining areas."