THERE are fresh plans at popular playing fields in Fife for an overspill car park that was created three years ago without permission.
It's the third attempt to regularise the position at Pitreavie playing fields after two previous retrospective applications were refused by Fife Council in March and October of last year - with officers threatening to take enforcement action.
Work to turn a grassed area into hardstanding was completed in January 2023 and it created 85 extra spaces at the Dunfermline sports venue, which is especially busy in evenings and weekends with football teams training and playing there.
The move attempted to alleviate the car parking problems at Pitreavie but there was a complaint from a member of the public at the time, pointing out that consent had not been obtained.
Documents lodged on behalf of the applicant, CHL SSAS, state: "The client was unaware the groundwork carried out to the existing grassed overspill car park required planning permission, repairing existing hardcore and tar areas that have been there for a number of years."
The site is operated by Pitreavie Sport and Soccer Centre and the overspill car park is to the east of the pavilion and the nursery.
CHL SSAS is a pension fund associated with Charlestown Holdings Ltd, a company that was headed up by former Dunfermline Athletic owner Gavin Masterton.
The application, which seeks permission for the formation of hardstanding for overspill car parking and associated drainage, added that discussions have taken place with the council and that they were being supported by the local authority's economic development team.
Previously, the council had said that the proposals were broadly acceptable but "insufficient information" had been submitted to show that the move would not increase flooding or the flood risk.
Among the documents submitted with the latest application is a drainage strategy and surface water management plan.
Sportscotland are a statutory consultee and they were satisfied that "the location of the hardstanding would not impact on the continued use of the grass pitches to the south".
