Competition to come up with ideas for eyesore under Glen Bridge

Councillor Helen Law is looking for inspiration for the area underneath the Glen Bridge in Dunfermline, which is currently closed after being blighted by anti-social behaviour, vandalism, fly-tipping and safety issues.

But you could help transform it as a competition will be launched asking for ideas about how to make the most of the spot.

Gillian Taylor, the council's community manager for Dunfermline, chairs a multi-agency group which has been formed to look at solutions for the Glen Bridge area.

She told the Press: "The main focus over the last few months has been to make the path safe and reduce the incidents of anti-social behaviour in the area.

"Ground survey work has been going on and new safety fencing designed.

"Once the new safety measures are in place, we will look at reopening the path.

"However, the longer-term aim is to make the area much more attractive, especially as this is the drop-off point for many visitors to Dunfermline and is next to the historic St Margaret's Cave.

"We are aware it is a challenging site so we plan to run a competition to generate ideas and attract funding."

In March 2017, councillors backed plans to spend £20,000 on improving the “dark, depressing and dirty” Glen Bridge underpass, which had become a hang-out for teenagers.

They said it had become a no-go area, apart from youngsters using it as a drinking den and rubbish tip.

This week, Cllr Law, convener of the City of Dunfermline area committee, said the area "should be a beauty spot" and added: "It's not through a lack of will.

"We had money in the budget in 2017 to get something done but it's a big job.

"It's a considerable amount of work just to make the area safe.

"As well as anti-social behaviour and vandalism, the fly-tipping there has been horrendous at times and the depth of the ravine makes it difficult to clear the rubbish."

She was one of the councillors who voted in December to close the path under the bridge, from Buffies Brae to the Glen Bridge car park, due to safety concerns and vandalism.

Police Scotland were also consulted about the decision, which was taken “due to the risk of members of the public falling from the subsiding path”.

A council report said the situation was "exacerbated by the continual vandalism to the safety fences" and that even a heavy-duty barrier, to prevent people stumbling down a steep drop, had been set on fire.

Cllr Law said: "There have been ideas about different structures in there, new walkways, a viewing platform, there's been talk of stalls and I've asked the design team at the council to come up with something.

"The competition will hopefully bring forward some imaginative ideas as there are a whole lot of things that could be done.

"The worry I have now is, post-virus, the country has spent so much on supporting people through the pandemic – and rightly so – that money will be tight for years to come."

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