Castlehill
Lomond Group owns the former Castlehill Mine site, located on approximately 1.5 miles to the west of Blairhall village and 5.5 miles from the Kincardine Bridge. Located off the A907 Dunfermline to Alloa road, this 6.5 hectare brownfield site currently sits vacant and in a derelict state. In the not-too-distant past the site was a former mine access for the Longannet Colliery complex. However it was closed along with coal mining operations at Longannet around 1990.
Castlehill sits in an attractive semi-rural location, surrounded by rolling countryside and a scattering of houses. It benefits from being low lying and well screened from the A907 and neighbouring land by bands of mature trees. Any development on site will benefit from seclusion and privacy created by the natural features.
The A907 is the route of a bus service between Alloa and Dunfermline and services pass the site on a regular basis. The existing Kincardine Road Bridge and Clackmannan Bridge are 10 minutes’ drive away from the site, giving ease of access to central Scotland and Edinburgh. The train stations at Dunfermline are located eight miles from Castlehill, providing park and ride facilities to Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow and beyond. This transport facility is easily accessible by car, and via the cycle way and footpath located to the south of the Castlehill site.
A large part of the redevelopment of the Castlehill site is the decontamination and remediation required to ensure the site is fit for future use. Castlehill’s sister site, Solsgirth, which is located in Clackmannanshire, has already undergone a complete remediation programme prior to development commencing on the site (to read more click here).
Castlehill provides an excellent opportunity for the creation of a sustainable community. Learning from our Solsgirth site, bio-remediation techniques can be applied. Ensuring that the decontamination process will maximise the environmental benefits on site. Waste management techniques used at Solsgirth, will also be employed at Castlehill. Extensive re-use and recycling of materials found on the site will be a part of the waste management strategy. This will be prepared with the assistance of Envirowise.
The Castlehill development will place a clear emphasis on design standards. The development will be set out to meet the following key elements: it will be distinctive; safe and pleasant; easy to get around; have a welcoming atmosphere; and have sustainability at its heart. It will be designed to become a socially inclusive community with a mix of house types that are adaptable to accommodate working from home and with affordability built in. The layout will make provision for community facilities, extensive open space, outdoor play areas, and connectivity.
With a lack of natural gas on the site, coupled with the unprecedented rise in oil prices, it makes economic sense to pursue carbon-reducing measures. Lomond Group is keen to showcase what it can achieve in terms of low carbon solutions on the Castlehill site as well as its sister site, Solsgirth.
At present, a planning application has been lodged with Fife Council and negotiations continue regarding the most appropriate form of development. With the inclusion of the Castlehill site in the Draft Dunfermline Local Plan, Lomond Group has partnered with Bio-Regional Quintain in order to devise a development which will be a genuine exemplar of sustainable development. Bio-Regional Quintain are industry leaders in sustainable and low-carbon development and their impressive track record is outlined on their website www.bioregional-quintain.com. They will be supported by leading urban designers Barton Willmore.
