THE owners of the 'Dockyard Digs' have submitted an appeal after Fife Council said the temporary accommodation would have to go.

A total of 62 'pods' were installed in 2014 at the former Forth Families Social Club site on Castle Road in Rosyth for workers building the Queensferry Crossing and the two aircraft carriers.

The two projects are now complete but the applicant, Capital and Provincial Ltd, wants to extend the timescale and keep the accommodation in place until the end of December 2023.

They said the pods would be used by Rosyth workers building the Royal Navy's five new Type 31 frigates, part of a £1.25 billion contract that was awarded to Babcock last year, and "continue to play a supporting role and benefit the local and national economy".

This work is expected to be ongoing until 2023.

However, the council refused the application in February and the company's appeal will be heard by the Fife Planning Review Body on Monday.

At the time, planners said they were "unconvinced” that the project was of the same national significance as the bridge and carriers.

A council report stated: "The frigate contract, whilst a significant contract, does not create the same temporary demand and pressures on the area that were apparent in 2013 when the area faced dealing with two significant construction projects at the same time."

They added that the design "does not make a positive contribution to the quality of the place in this location" which was contrary to FIFEplan.

An appeal submitted by agents RP Planning said: "Even if there are design concerns, the appellant's case is that these are outweighed by the support the proposal would provide to locally- and nationally-important projects at Rosyth Dockyard, which is a location recognised in the council's spatial strategy as a strategic employment and economic location."

Each of the pods consists of two self-contained accommodation units with each unit having its own sleeping area, kitchen, breakfast bar and bathroom.

Capital and Provincial are willing to limit occupancy in each unit to one person, who must be working at the dockyard, to ensure planning permission is granted.

The company said the pods were "not a long-term proposition" and they were looking into a permanent residential development on the site.