A project to provide heating for homes and businesses in Glenrothes from a biomass plant at nearby Markinch has received planning approval.

Councillors have granted planning permission for a vast network of underground pipes to be installed throughout the town as part of the Glenrothes District Heating Scheme.

Spearheaded by Fife Council in conjunction with energy firm RWE and the Scottish Government, the £17.1 million Glenrothes Heat scheme is a heat distribution network utilising the output from the RWE-run biomass plant at Markinch, with hopes it could be up and running by the end of the decade.

The proposal is designed to heat businesses, public facilities and offices and up to 372 homes in the town centre catchment area once fully operational.

While the project will initially focus on the town centre, further phases could see the network expand to more homes and to the south of the town, as far as Pitteuchar West Primary School, Fife College and the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre.

Members of Fife Council’s central area planning committee approved the plans on Monday.

Council case officer Alex Laidler insisted that any disruption from laying the pipes would be kept to a minimum.

He told committee members: “There will be a need to connect pipework to homes.

“The pipework will generally follow the route of roads and will try and avoid existing utilities and greenspaces.

“All excavated land will be replaced as it is.”

Addressing concerns from councillors that additional fuel may be needed to provide the necessary levels of heat, Mr Laidler added: “The emphasis is on using the existing power plant.

“It effectively has waste heat and the aim of this is capturing about 80% of that heat to minimise any additional burning of material.”

Around £8.5m is expected to be secured from the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Programme Fund, while £7m has also been committed by RWE Markinch Ltd.