PROPOSALS to regenerate Prestonhill Quarry are moving forward with developers assigned to proceed with a planning application for the site.

Last June, quarry owners Prestonhill Developments Ltd told the Press that they wanted to create “something worthwhile” for Inverkeithing through a diving centre and 100 new homes.

The site beside the Fife Coastal Path has been in neglect for 40 years and during that time there have been four deaths at the quarry, leading to increased calls for something to be done.

Alan Ockendon, of Prestonhill Quarry Developments, said: "After protracted discussions, our company has now entered into an agreement with a developer who plans to proceed at the earliest moment with a planning application.

"This is intended to deal with the historic and existing problems of the quarry along the lines of that which we have been promoting since we took control of the quarry over two years ago now.

"I have to say I am very pleased with this and trust that it will be the start of something very positive for the quarry, Inverkeithing, and Fife as a whole."

In late 2016, Jim Brydie, a long-time resident of Spencerfield, and Alan Ockendon, a friend and former business associate, started to look at the quarry and, after an extensive investigation, the families of the two men have taken control of the standard security of the site.

Over the past two years, the company has consulted locally to try to find a proposal which would win the backing of residents.

A pre-application submission was given to Fife Council last summer and now a planning an application will be submitted in due course.

Over the years, different companies have proposed to build housing at the 35-acre site.

But Prestonhill Developments want to build a significantly smaller amount of homes than previous developers, which they say would essentially pay for the project.

Previous indications have suggested that the central quarry section would be passed on to qualified professional sport divers for management as a diving centre and the eastern part would be passed on to a not-for-profit organisation for a nominal price to be retained as a natural woodland area.