St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan - Home Page

The town has lost its role as a ‘County Town’ and agricultural marketfor the surrounding area. Demand for houses in the town remains highbut this has not been matched by growth in employment opportunities.21. The Local Plan strategy for Cupar is to consolidate the town’s role asthe principal centre for services and facilities, places of worship,serving the wider rural hinterland, involving the development of 1,400houses, community facilities and infrastructure, enhanced educationfacilities and business and commercial land over a 20-year period. Theproposals in this Local Plan begin the move towards this aim bypromoting development to accommodate changes in household size,increases in population, attracting and retaining services, providingemployment opportunities and addressing traffic management issues.The scale of development proposed will help to minimise infrastructurecosts.22. One of the main challenges for the town is how development can bechannelled to resolve transportation issues. The development strategyfor the town over the next 20 years will enable the construction of anorthern relief road to be funded through development. The road willresolve many of the congestion and environmental issues which impacton the town centre. It will also provide development options foremployment land (including a business park), housing, bulky-goodsretailing, community facilities, infrastructure, and public transportconnections. Binding legal agreements will ensure that the road is builtearly in the construction phase of associated housing developments.23. Construction of the relief road will allow for further traffic calmingmeasures and associated environmental improvements to beintroduced in the town centre guided by a Town Centre ImprovementFramework. In addition, any house building on sites within Cupar (butoutwith the Cupar North Strategic Land Allocation) will be required tomake financial contributions to the revitalisation of the town centre.Further details on financial contributions are contained in the PlanningObligations Financial Framework in the Action Programmeaccompanying the Local Plan.24. These measures are seen as part of a package to safeguard theviability and function of central Cupar as the town is extended to thenorth. They will include environmental and public path improvementswhich should make a significant contribution to improvingenvironmental quality within the town. It is envisaged that a betterquality environment in the town centre should also attract furtherbusinesses and the Local Plan encourages the development of officebasedbusiness there.25. Development will be phased over the 20 year period and will be guidedby masterplans to be prepared for Council approval. The masterplanswill also address development phasing, design principles, land-usesand layout, access, and integration with the built up area. They will help