The Scottish Government

Name

Pamela Ewen

Job title

Organisation

Fife Council, Development Services

Address

Fife House, North Street, Glenrothes, Fife, KY7 5LT

Telephone

08451 55 55 55 (extension 44 22 81)

Fax

-

Email

pamela.ewen@fife.gov.uk

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Development Plans Development Management Development on the Ground Community Involvement

4 Title of entry

Lochgelly Strategic Design Framework

Professional knowledge Innovation Management Sustainable development

Partnership Community interest Regeneration Customer satisfaction

The Lochgelly Strategic Design Framework sets out a strategy for the growth of Lochgelly over the next twenty years. This strategy seeks to strengthen the structure of the towns urban form, ensuring that new development integrates well with the existing fabric of the settlement and has strong links to the town centre increasing its vitality and viability. The framework was prepared by Urban Initiatives on behalf of Fife Council; it identifies appropriate areas for development in Lochgelly, and establishes core design and development principles to inform future more detailed masterplanning work.

The Finalised Fife Structure Plan identifies Lochgelly as a Strategic Land Allocation ( SLA) - an area for large scale, long term development with integrated residential (1,400 new homes), business, commercial, education and community uses and infrastructure improvements. The aim is to progress the regeneration of Lochgelly and enhance its identity. In late 2005 Fife Council had consulted the local community on some early stage masterplanning work - this demonstrated that the people of Lochgelly were eager for new development. The results of this consultation and a considerable amount of research and information gathering undertaken by Fife Council, (used to inform the choice of SLA's in the Structure Plan), formed the starting point for the development of the strategic framework.

The key aim of the framework was to inform the implementation of the Structure Plan and Local Plan and to recommend sites (including capacities and uses) for inclusion in the Kirkcaldy and Mid Fife Local Plan. The framework has a number of objectives that can be broadly set out as: - to define a coherent and holistic 'whole town' vision for Lochgelly which establishes scenarios for growth at the same time as consolidating the structure, character and functionality of the town centre; - to define a clear set of placemaking, design and sustainability principles to guide the growth and regeneration of the town; and - to establish a clear understanding of the key issues of context, constraints, form and quality affecting potential locations and form of growth.

The contract to develop the framework was awarded to Urban Initiatives in October 2007. The final document was handed over to Fife Council in June 2008 and was included as a background paper to the Kirkcaldy and Mid Fife Local Plan approved by Fife Council in June 2008. The framework is an innovative document that takes the strategy for Lochgelly set out in the Fife Structure Plan and provides a vision and guidance for future development in the town that not only informed the allocation of sites in the Local Plan but looks further towards the detailed masterplanning of these sites. In this way the framework follows the guidance set out in the Fife Masterplans Handbook - it creates a vision to drive forward development of a spatial masterplan.

Following the appointment of Urban Initiatives an internal workshop was held to brief the consultants on current and proposed projects and initiatives within Lochgelly. This workshop was attended by representatives from a number of Fife Council services who were then invited to two subsequent workshops and were sent the draft framework for comment. At the first of these workshops developers and landowners with land interests around Lochgelly were invited to present their proposals for future development in Lochgelly - to provide consistency and a context for discussion they were sent a list of questions to address in their presentation. At the second workshop Urban Initiative presented their draft framework for discussion.

Fife Council's role is as the planning authority, promoting sustainable development, aiding regeneration through quality placemaking and urban design and taking an innovative approach to the planning process. Given the number of land interests in the area Fife Council took the lead in commissioning the development framework to ensure a high quality outcome for the community. Urban Initiatives were chosen as leading urban design professionals with an extensive knowledge of Fife. They took an overview of current projects and proposals and early masterplanning work, consultation exercises and research that had been previously carried out and used these to inform the development of the framework. The private sector were asked to input their own vision for their land interests and delivery of the wider Lochgelly SLA.

The framework was developed in partnership with a number of key Fife Council services and sets out a vision for future development in Lochgelly. This vision places a strong emphasis on new development enhancing the vitality of the town centre whilst ensuring that Lochgelly grows in a sustainable way. The framework proposes key sites around Lochgelly as suitable for development - these informed the choice of sites identified in the Local Plan. The document also provides design guidance as to how the various components of the framework should be developed and provides detailed strategies for movement, landscape and open space, urban form and community infrastructure. This guidance will aid the detailed masterplanning of these sites.

Fife Council has taken a lead role in implementing change in Lochgelly through the development of the strategic design framework for the town. The document establishes a framework for exemplar development in Lochgelly. Outsourcing the production of the framework captured a high level of professional knowledge and ensured that the framework was a high quality product and that it was delivered in time to meet the local plan timescales. This is the first time that Fife Council has commissioned a strategic framework, it demonstrates the council's commitment to the Fife Masterplans Handbook and staff from across Fife Council have gained knowledge and skills through their involvement in the development of the framework.

28/08/08