New Home Bargains planned for Dunfermline as part of £10 million investment

The proposed development would be built on land south of Dunlin Drive within the Dunfermline Eastern Expansion.

The retail unit would include an outdoor garden centre, just 0.6km from Dobbies at Fife Leisure Park and 1km from the Halbeath Retail Park.

TJ Morris Ltd have bought the vacant site, which has had a long history of planning consent for retail over the past 20 years, however, it has never been developed.

They say the plans would bring "significant economic benefits" with an estimated 50 full-time jobs to be created.

A planning statement reads: "Development of the site would bring a long-term vacant development plot within the Dunfermline Eastern Expansion area into viable economic use which will serve to address shopping demands within the local area.

"A significant amount of new housing has been built in the surrounding area or is currently in the pipeline. Despite this, no new retail facilities to serve this new community have been developed.

"Consent for a large food store was previously granted on the nearby Freescale/Halbeath Interchange site. However, this development was never initiated and a new planning application for a revised mix of uses, not including the food store, has recently been granted.

"Development of the application site will therefore help to address the void in retail supply left at the Freescale site."

TJ Morris explain they have looked at many different areas to access where the best place is to put a new Home Bargains, including Inverkeithing, Rosyth, Lochgelly and Cowdenbeath, as well as Halbeath Retail Park and Fife Leisure Park, but there is no site big enough for the proposed development of around 1.36 hectares.

They are also not wishing to replace their Carnegie Drive store in Dunfermline's town centre.

Planning history for the site has included erection of a local centre, comprising a neighbourhood shopping scheme, care home and community centre, granted in 2008.

This planning permission was extended for a period of two years in January 2012.

Next was the erection of six retail units units and a hot food takeaway in 2013. The planning permission were then renewed in 2014.

At the new development, a toucan crossing is proposed across Dunlin Drive, connecting to the existing footpath which will enter the site.

Pedestrian crossings have been provided within the site, and raised tables are proposed at the site entrance, to ensure safe pedestrian movement which is prioritised over the private car.

Car-parking is proposed to the north of the unit and approximately 135 spaces will be created, including 12 dedicated electric vehicle charging points.

A three-metres-high acoustic fence is proposed along the site’s southern boundary to ensure there will be no detriment to existing amenity for residents to the south of the site.

"The proposal will complement existing retail provision within Fife and, as our analysis shows, will have no detrimental impact on the vitality or viability of nearby centres," the planning statement said.