Dunfermline and Crossford to benefit from Fife Council fund

Councillors approved requests of £100,000 for a 'steading for wellbeing' in the Glen, £60,000 for St Leonard's playpark, £42,798 for a food development worker, £60,000 for additional allotments in Crossford and £24,731 for a Cosy Kingdom project.

Fife Council have confirmed there will be £60,000 for new allotments in Crossford. (Image: Newsquest)

James Calder, convener of the City of Dunfermline area committee, said: “It’s great to see more community projects coming forward to benefit from the community recovery fund.

"This fund is helping Dunfermline recover from the pandemic and become a successful city we can all be proud of.”

Last August the council put £10 million into the pot with each of the seven area committees given an allocation – Dunfermline received £1.24m.

The aim was to help communities to recover from the pandemic and cope with the rapid rise in the cost of living.

In April the committee agreed funding of more than £700,000 for 11 projects, including £197,000 to set up a new greenspace charity, £150,000 for a city status conference and £100,000 for a new advice hub in the Kingsgate Shopping Centre.

The committee was told on Tuesday that another seven applications were discussed in May and four had been put forward for consideration.

Carnegie Dunfermline Trust applied for £100,000 to redevelop and repurpose a dilapidated building in Pittencrieff Park into a 'steading for wellbeing'.

It will be used to make the premises wind and watertight and carry out electrical upgrades and improvements.

It's already used by groups such as Dunfermline Men's Shed, the Peacocks of Pittencrieff Park volunteers and Cycling Without Age, with mental health and wellbeing a key theme of their work.

Cllr Jean Hall-Muir said £80,000 had previously been given to transform "what is now a cycling hub" and added: "We're giving a tremendous amount of public money and while it's great for these groups, I think we need some assurances that it will not be just for these groups, it will be for everybody."

The total cost of the project is £135,000 and the trust is putting up £10,000.

The money for Crossford, the request came from the community council, will be used to increase the number of allotments from 34 to 60, create a wetland park and improve the paths network.

The total cost of the project is £97,000, they've already secured £18,000 from the community investment team, and it's hoped money will be forthcoming from other funders. Brucefield Tenants and Residents Association asked for £60,000 for drainage works and to tackle flooding at the St Leonard's playpark.

Councillors were told that tackling the flooding – identified by locals as a "high priority" – should make it easier for children to get to and from school.

It would also allow the TRA to apply for external funding for further playpark improvements, with the committee told there's a £1m masterplan for the wider area.

The council requested £42,798 for a food development worker. The money will cover the costs of the post for one year.

Included in the job description is the task of creating and delivering community-based food courses and workshops, with food education and reducing food waste part of the remit too.

And the £24,731 for the local authority's Cosy Kingdom project will aim to support vulnerable households in the Dunfermline area to "stay warm affordably and increase access to further support".