A £25 MILLION housing project between Crossford and Cairneyhill has been scrapped by developers.

Stewart Milne Homes gained permission controversially from the Scottish Government to build 212 homes on land south of Pitconnochie Farm in December 2019.

Fife Council had originally refused permission in September 2018 after 139 letters of objection.

Now, a spokesperson for the firm has confirmed that the development will not be progressing.

No further information on the decision has been made available at this time.

Stewart Milne Homes had been unable to start work until a condition designed to prevent flooding was met.

This would have involved installing a pipe to take surface water around 700 metres to the west to Torry Burn, but they would have needed consent from a landowner who refused to give it.

Robert Forrester, of the Forrester Park Resort in Cairneyhill, confirmed to the Press in September last year that he would not be giving permission for a 180-metre section of the pipe to pass through his land.

One of the reasons Fife Council rejected the plans originally was “in the interest of preventing flood risk” but after Holyrood stepped in permission was granted.

However, a planning condition states that work on the housing development cannot start until measures are in place to deal with surface water.

Councillors granted permission for the pipeline application, but without Mr Forrester's consent the developers would have been forced to come up with a new proposal.

At that time a spokesperson for Stewart Milne Homes said that work would not be carried out until necessary approvals were in place.