South Dunfermline Land for Development

Article written by: Laura Pearson

On 30th June, ema Architecture + Design held a consultation event in Duloch Leisure Centre to provide information about their plans to build on a piece of land in the South Dunfermline area. They encouraged the community to come out and give their opinion. And so we did... an estimated 50 people turned up to give their opinion!

The land in question is a plot on the corner of Aberdour Road and Lapwing Drive, beside Masterton Primary School.

At the event we were told they propose to build one retail property, a number of affordable houses and many more houses for private sale. It looked like the land would be predominantly filled with houses and not a lot of green space would be left.

Community Council members who attended the event heard many residents say “not more houses.” This was not opposition to the houses as such, but concern that new housing is not accompanied by increased local amenities needed for residents. Concerns over school capacities and access to GP, health visitor and dental services were heard, as well as hopes for a shop and a community space where residents and their families can meet and socialise (the Duloch Arms if you've seen the social media mock up!)

The land was described by the architects as the ‘final parcel of vacant land within the wider expansion of Eastern Dunfermline.’ This concerns me - if houses are built on this last bit of vacant land there will be no space for community assets, such as shops, GP surgeries or social spaces at a later date. 

I asked why they need to build houses on the last bit of land and their answer was “because someone owns it so they need to make money on it.” Apparently it has been on sale for commercial use for many years and there has been no interest in it.

In this time, the land has been left to nature and is now home to established trees, bushes and hedgerows. It makes me wonder why we need to build on this area of green space at all. What's wrong with having areas within our communities where we have birds in hedgerows, paths through overgrown plants and grass, trees to climb in, muddy puddles to play in and places to walk dogs - little nature havens. 

I was reminded by staff hosting the consultation event that we are in the midst of a housing crisis and land must be built on to overcome the lack of houses. An undeniable reason to build more affordable houses. But perhaps it's also important to think of the future for the residents of these new houses and to question whether the amenities in their community will be adequate before building on the land.

A second consultation event that was due to take place in August has been postponed, with no indication of when it will be rescheduled. I wonder if our voices have been heard.

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Photo credit: ema Architecture + Design