A MASTER PLAN is to be compiled which will give a former opencast site a 'high quality finish'.

Hargreaves Services PLC, who are the current owners of the former St Ninian's opencast site near Kelty, have this week, in correspondence with Mid Scotland and Fife MSP, Alex Rowley, confirmed they are making progress with the restoration of the site and now plan to put together a master plan to set out future development potential.

The company told Kelty based MSP, Mr Rowley; “Over the past few weeks we have undertaken some remedial engineering works and completed the final stages of restoration on site and are now in a position to discharge the extant planning consent and S75 obligations and have the site removed from quarry regulations”.

The site is designated in the new Fife Local Development Plan for a 'mixed tourism and leisure after use' and has confirmed that they are currently embarking on a new master-planning exercise for the site with key stakeholders from Fife Council and local and national tourism bodies.

They said: “We are shortly to commence a series of surveys and feasibility studies to examine the potential to re-open Loch Fitty as a commercial fishery and have several parties interested in moving this forward.

"We are intending to crop approximately 100Ha of willow that was planted on-site as an energy crop over this winter and implement woodland management works and new woodland planting”.

It was also confirmed that the proposal to develop an iconic structure, “the Citizens Tower,” on the site is being actively followed up.

Speaking to the Times Mr Rowley said: “There is obviously a great deal of local interest in what is going to be developed on this site following the collapse of Scottish Coal and all their false promises.

"I am pleased that Hargreaves seem to be making real progress and seem to have a lot of ambition for the site."

He added: "This is a prime location for the development of tourism with real opportunities to create sustainable employment. I will continue to work with the company and the council to make sure we explore all the options for the development of this site and the surrounding area”.

The original plans by top architect Charles Jencks had a parkland future for the site but the demise of Scottish Coal made the plans unreachable.