Fife eco‑leisure project set to move forward

National Pride (St Ninians) Ltd, the community interest company behind the proposal, intends to turn the 976‑acre brownfield site into a large‑scale, environmentally focused destination centred on health, wellbeing, and outdoor recreation.

The application seeks Planning Permission in Principle for around 321 short‑stay accommodation units, a mix of lodges and hotel rooms, as well as a mining museum.

National Pride purchased the land in 2021 from Hargreaves Land. The former mining village of Lassodie once stood on the site there before being overtaken by opencast operations, and the landscape still bears the unfinished work of artist Charles Jencks, whose landform project stalled after Scottish Coal collapsed.

Developers describe the proposal as a long‑term, four‑stage project. Phase one, focused on the southern edge at Loch Fitty, would introduce arrival and service buildings, a wellness therapy centre, sports and leisure facilities, plus 30 lodges and 70 hotel rooms.

Phase two, on the northern side, proposes a second arrivals hub, 111 lodges and treehouses, a floating bridge, an aquatics centre, yoga and prayer spaces, a food production facility, a farm shop and café, a witches’ memorial, and an amphitheatre.

Phase three outlines 70 more hotel rooms, 166 additional lodges, cabins and treehouses, along with an education centre, art gallery, cultural and heritage centre, dive centre, and extreme sports facilities.

Phase four would complete the development with a research, education, and science‑focused conference hub.

A planning officer’s report prepared for the upcoming committee meeting emphasises the project’s potential economic value.

It states: “The development would generate employment during both the construction and operational phases, supporting direct jobs as well as indirect and induced employment through the supply chain. There would be opportunities for local businesses to benefit from procurement and increased demand for goods and services.”

The report further adds: “The development is also expected to increase visitor numbers and footfall, resulting in additional expenditure within nearby settlements, thereby supporting the vitality and viability of local centres.”