COMMUNITY councillors have warned that recent incidents of villages being flooded in England should make Fife planners be very careful when considering an application for new homes at the north end of Cardenden.

Kingdom Housing Association have submitted a planning application for 45 affordable houses on a site in the Woodend area of Cardenden.

This is the second time an application has been submitted for this area, as the original application was withdrawn.

Our photograph of the site was taken after heavy rain in August this year and the site has remained flooded ever since.

Cardenden Community Council secretary, David Taylor, said this week that the organisation is highly concerned about the plans

He said: "The developers now propose to acquire more land to divert the water into an artificial pond, before it is released into a ditch behind the houses at Woodend.

"This area also suffers from flooding and Fife Council, who are responsible for the ditch, has already had to compensate house owners for previous flood damage to their property.

"However, this does not take into consideration the water which spills onto the Kinglassie Road from adjoining fields and causes the road to flood. "When this was pointed out to the developers at their public consultations, they said it would be Fife Council's responsibility to rectify this".

Mr Taylor added: "It is accepted that more affordable homes are required, but a development is already underway in the village, with another planned.

"Kingdom Homes themselves also have plans for a development in the Jamphlars area of the village and this should be developed along with other suitable sites, before totally inappropriate sites outwith the village are considered.

"Recent flooding in England should make developers, Councils and the Scottish Government more aware of where houses should be built. Formal comments to Fife Council's planners will be made in due course".

A spokesperson for Kingdom said: "Although Kingdom's proposed new housing development is located within a functional flood plain the construction works and design will allow for relocation of this without negatively impacting on the areas outwith the site. "The new housing proposals will be subject to formal approval from Fife Council's Flood Prevention team as part of the planning process and the drainage for the development will be designed fully in accordance with Scottish Water's Sewers for Scotland 4 and SEPA requirements.

"Kingdom staff were delighted to receive such positive feedback and support for their proposals following recent community consultation held in the village."