A NEW McDonald's drive-thru restaurant and a petrol station at Kelty would bring almost £1 million a year into the local economy.

TG Convenience Stores Ltd, based in Essex, said their Blairadam Forest Services at junction 4 of the M90 motorway will attract thousands of cars every day and create 75 jobs.

If approved the roadside services, next to the former Baxters store, would be "a gateway to Kelty" and operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A planning application has been submitted to Fife Council and a statement on behalf of the company said: "The development will bring the site back into active economic use and make positive contribution to the local economy by bringing jobs and restoring the passing trade that has been absent since the Baxters’ facility closed.

"McDonald’s has been secured as the operator of the freestanding restaurant and drive-thru."

The filling station would have eight pumps, two jetwash bays, service bays for water and air and vacuuming, customer parking and a new retail shop with ATM.

There would also be a separate HGV refuelling area with HGV parking.

The site is off the B914 road and TG's planning statement added: "Once operational, it is estimated that the proposed petrol filling station will create 10 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs.

"The proposed McDonald’s restaurant will employ 65 full-time and part-time staff (45 FTE jobs)."

The former Baxters restaurant and deli at Kathellan, Home Farm, opened in 2008 and closed in early 2018.

The building would remain and TG, a developer and operator of roadside services facilities across the UK, believe their plans will act as a "catalyst" for the wider redevelopment of the site.

The statement added: "The roadside services development will re-establish footfall to the area and encourage passing trade into the site."

McDonald's aim to be a 'good neighbour' to Kelty and will have "a strict protocol for ensuring noise and disturbance is kept to a minimum" and CCTV to try and prevent bad behaviour and littering.

TG's planning statement added: "The CCTV system can also be used to capture footage of customers’ vehicle registration plates, in the event that they act in an anti-social manner or litter on the site.

"This footage can then be passed on to the police or local council for further action."

The application comes in the same week as confirmation that an adjoining site, the former St Ninians opencast mine to the south, has been sold and will be turned into an 'eco-therapy wellness park'.

Back in 2009, four huge projects for Junction 4 were backed by the then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, but the £50 million-plus investment was never realised.

There were £30m proposals at Moorlands Farm for holiday accommodation, a swimming pool, a ‘Go Ape’ adventure area and tourist information centre, while Cocklaw Developments had £9m plans for 26 business units.

Kathellan Ltd, who were behind the Baxters store, wanted to build a 50-bedroom hotel and conference centre, micro-brewery, children’s play centre and holiday chalets on their land.

The fourth project was an ambitious restoration of the St Ninian’s site, Charles Jencks' land art project, which stalled after the collapse of Scottish Coal.

With no progress on any of these proposals, it looked like work would finally get underway with fresh plans for houses.

I&H Brown were given planning permission in September 2018 for 900 new homes and a primary school on the Cocklaw / Oakfield site next to the motorway.

However, pressure on the school roll at Kelty Primary School meant they couldn’t start work until 2021 and there is a further hold-up over the £8m funding of the school.