A KINCARDINE man has been given planning permission to turn the village's former toilet block into housing.

Fife Council had initially rejected the plan from Sebastian Pietrzak's, though he has since returned with an updated bid which won favour among elected representatives.

The original plan was deemed too modern but he spent a penny or two more on a fresh application to change the use and convert the premises at 17-19 Excise Street into a four-bedroom house.

A council report confirmed: "It is compatible with its surroundings in terms of scale, design and finishing materials and will not cause any unacceptable impact on the listed building."

Empty, rundown and boarded up since around 2007, the two-storey property is on the Buildings at Risk register but has plenty of history – it dates back more than 200 years to the Georgian era.

It also sits in Kincardine's outstanding conservation area which is why in September last year the council rejected Mr Pietrzak's first application, which included UPVC windows, a composite door and modern rooflights.

They said his vision for the property wasn't compatible with its surroundings but the change of plans was approved by council officers.

There were no objections and there was one letter of support for the application, which said the proposal would have "a positive impact upon the aesthetic of the area".

The category C-listed building, which is at the junction with Station Road, was split originally into two houses and records show the ground floor was used as a shop in 1963.

It was latterly used as public toilets.