PLANS for a new £1.5 million business park next to the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline have been submitted by Fife Council.

They aim to construct 10 industrial units in two separate buildings on a vacant plot of land between Sandpiper Drive and the M90.

The Fife Interchange North project is funded by the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal and the hope is it will bring jobs and “major investment” to Dunfermline.

When the money was confirmed last year, Councillor Altany Craik, the convener of the economy, tourism, strategic planning and transportation committee, described the new business park as “excellent news” for Fife.

He said: “This City Region Deal project will deliver essential infrastructure at Fife Interchange North to provide greater opportunity to attract major investment.

“Crucially, this development will create significant employment opportunities on one of Fife’s most strategic employment sites situated immediately adjacent to the M90.”

Enabling works began last summer and the units are aimed at a range of businesses, including start-ups and growing companies, and will be for class 4 (business), class 5 (industrial) and class 6 (storage and distribution) use. Plans also include 63 parking spaces, landscaping, three bin stores and fencing, as well as a new SUDS pond for drainage and the removal of a number of trees. The site is 1.25 hectares in size and near junction 3 (Halbeath) of the M90.

Cllr Craik had promised that the development of fully-serviced employment land and modern business units would promote “genuine inclusive economic growth and investment in Fife”. He had added: “Supporting business growth and jobs is a top priority for the council, particularly in the face of the ongoing economic impact of COVID-19. This development will help with recovery, providing new opportunities for local people as well as supporting the local economy and the wider supply chain.”