Fife Council has said it is planning ahead to make sure communities located in the Kingdom benefit from future housing developments.

The local authority has to identify additional land for housing for the South East Scotland Strategic Development Plan (SESplan) area.

This week, the amount of land needed until 2024 will be reported to the Council's Executive Committee. In turn, this will be published in guidance and be issued for consultation next month.

Once the SESplan guidance is finalised following consultation in May 2014, the council will publish its new Local Development Plan, called FIFEplan, which will identify where the housing land will be.

The land will be made up from some already included in the development plan, as well as new sites to be selected using information from the FIFEplan Main Issues Report consultation. The final decision on the sites selected will be made by the Council's Executive Committee in June 2014 when it approves the FIFEplan Proposed Local Development Plan. This will then be published to allow the public to comment on the strategy.

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Council Leader Alex Rowley explained: "The council wants to give a message that Fife is very much open for business and wants to work with developers on potential new plans because we realise the benefits this can bring including a boost to local economies, jobs and more affordable housing too.

"But there's also a balance as it's important the council protects our communities and ensure additional housing developments happen in the right places.

"That's why the council is working hard to identify where this additional land will be and will give everyone in Fife their chance to have their say next year.

"The council will also be looking to make sure development happens and land doesn't sit empty. We need to challenge and work with developers to find out if there's any issues with sites and make sure communities have their say too as these plans are hugely important for the future of Fife.

"Although there has been less house building or any construction in recent years, these are long term plans and should give some certainty to communities and the house building industry about where development is planned to happen."

(JP/CD)