A BLOCK of flats in Rosyth used as 'Dockyard Digs' now has a certificate of lawfulness as a house in multiple occupation (HMO).

The three-storey building at 63 Castle Road contains six serviced apartments and each one now has a licence in place for up to four tenants.

The applicant was Netlatch Ltd and HMOs include house and flat shares, student homes, bedsits and some buildings converted into flats.

A Fife Council report said: "The apartment block is one of seven within a complex known as 'Dockyard Digs' which provides accommodation for dock workers.

"These apartment blocks form one of a group of seven similar residential blocks which are also used for this purpose.

"The flatted dwellings are let on a short term basis and are occupied by people working away from their main home."

A certificate was granted for other properties on the site in January last year.

The application tidies up the legal paperwork as the property has been operating as an HMO for more than 10 years.

The council report explained: "As a result, the property is immune from planning enforcement action and is considered to be lawful in planning terms."

As well as the blocks of flats, the Dockyard Digs included 62 temporary 'pods' that were installed in 2014 on the site of the former Forth Families Social Club on Castle Road.

The scheme provided accommodation for workers building the Queensferry Crossing and the two aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.

The then owners, Capital and Provincial Ltd, argued in 2020 that the single-storey pods should remain in place until 2028 for workers building the five type 31 frigates at Rosyth Dockyard.

However the council refused and the pods were removed.