IT'S all swings and roundabouts in Dunfermline with changes ahead for the 42 play parks in and around the city.

Some sites are already on the slide and have few pieces of equipment, which are set to be removed, while other facilities will be improved.

However, greenspace officer Kevin O'Kane told the City of Dunfermline area committee: "The cost of refurbishing a play park can be up to £150,000 so it does take time to improve the sites."

Back in September 2021, and faced with a £30 million bill to maintain and improve the sites they had, the council agreed that 146 play parks across the Kingdom would not be refurbished or repaired.

Those sites will have their play equipment removed, if it hasn't been taken away already, and become natural play spaces.

In Dunfermline that's set to include nine sites at Lorimer Gardens, Milesmark, Garden Court in Townhill, Dalcross Way, both play parks in Bendachin Drive, Law Road, Public Park (west) and Duloch Park (north).

However the council have also earmarked 16 sites that they want to improve.

They are Alderston Drive, Broomhead Flats, Bull Park, Craigston Drive, East Baldridgeburn, Headwell Avenue, Paton Street, Robertson Road, Daviot Road, Liggars Place, Rex Park, Scobie Place, St Leonards, Whirlbut Street, Duloch Park (south) and Lilac Grove.

The council hope the categorisation of play parks will help them secure funding for upgrades and replacing old equipment, ensure play parks have a range of equipment that can be used by kids of all ages and transform greenspaces into play spaces.

Last week councillors agreed to four different types of play parks: natural "non-equipped" greenspaces with features such as logs, mounds, plants and public art;

local play parks, within five minutes' walk of most homes and with a range of equipment for pre-school and primary school children;

town play parks, potentially further away but with more equipment, including some for kids in the early years of high school;

and destination play parks, most people will have to travel to get to but with the widest range of equipment and facilities like toilets and cafes.

Mr O'Kane said: "One of the reasons we did this is because the council sites vary from a couple of pieces for toddlers up to all the equipment in Pittencrieff Park.

"Also a lot of them were put in very close together so there were clusters of sites, and the idea is to get a better range of equipment at a number of sites so that the play parks cater for both pre-school and primary school children, and then up to larger destination play parks such as Pittencrieff Park."

Dunfermline's only destination park is in the Glen with four town parks at Townhill, Public Park (east), Abbeyview and Duloch Park (south).

The local play parks in Dunfermline North are Alderston Drive, Braigh Gardens, Broomhead Flats, Bull Park, Craigston Drive, East Baldridgeburn, Headwell Avenue, Paton Street, Robertson Road, Leadside Crescent (Wellwood) and Kingseat.

In Dunfermline Central the local play parks are Daviot Road, Fodbank View, Goldfrum Street, Liggars Place, Linburn Grove, North Larches, Pittencrieff Park lower, Rex Park, Scobie Place, St Leonard’s, Whirlbut Street, Guttergates Road and Crossford Public Park.

And in the Dunfermline South ward the local play parks are Bute Crescent, Dovecot Place, Lilac Grove and The Heathery.

There are another 30 sites in the Dunfermline area that are privately owned and not the responsibility of the council.

Cllr Cara Hilton said parents will be "really excited" to see the facilities at Duloch Park (south) upgraded to a town park and asked for timescales.

Mr O'Kane said the first step was to get the play parks categorised and a programme will now be drawn up for when the work will be done.

However he warned: "Going up to a town play park will be really important for Duloch because of the catchment and the population there, but you are looking at £200,000 and at the minute there are no funds.

"So it's going to take quite a few years."