PLANS to create a container and caravan site in Cowdenbeath have been rejected.

An application had been submitted to Fife Council in the hopes of converting open space on land adjacent to Dunroming, Factory Road.

The land is currently vacant and had formerly been a stables and paddock, as well as a temporary travellers site for six caravans, the application form on behalf of JRM Storage stated.

The retrospective plans have been thrown out by the local authority for four reasons.

The first is in the interest of "safeguarding the Cowdenbeath town centre", the planning permission decision notice says.

Derek Simpson, Fife Council, said: "The proposed use would not attract people into the surrounding area nor contribute towards the vitality and viability of the town centre and the local economy.

"Furthermore, the proposed development could have a prejudicial impact on the designated development site to the west. As such, the proposal would be contrary to Policies 1 and 6 of the Adopted FIFEplan Local Development Plan (2017)."

He went on to state road safety was also a factor behind the decision.

"In the interests of road safety; the proposed development would result in the intensification of vehicular traffic movements over a sub-standard access, therefore having a significant detrimental impact on road safety," he said.

"As such, the proposal would be contrary to Policies 1, 3 and 10 of the Adopted FIFEplan Local Development Plan (2017) and Fife Council's Transportation Development Guidelines."

The final reasons for rejection concerned flood prevention and residential amenity.

Mr Simpson concluded: "In the interest of flood prevention and the water environment; no evidence has been submitted to demonstrate that the proposed development would not increase the risk of flooding from all sources (including surface water drainage measures) on the site or elsewhere, thereby failing to demonstrate that there would be no significant detrimental impact with regard to flooding/drainage, contrary to Policy 1: Development Principles and Policy 12: Flooding and the Water Environment of the Adopted FIFEplan 2017.

"In the interest of residential amenity; it is considered that the proposed development would result in a significant detrimental impact on the residential amenity of neighbouring properties, contrary to Policy 1: Development Principles and Policy 10: Amenity of the adopted FIFEplan Fife Local Development Plan (2017)."