Dunfermline councillors highlight lack of sports facilities

Fife Council have already earmarked the buildings on the site - and at the former St Columba's across the road - for demolition to clear the way for housing.

There was a suggestion that the pitch, currently used by Dunfermline Carnegie Hockey Club, could be retained and become a community facility but, following the closure of the pool at Woodmill, it's set to go too.

A Fife Council spokesperson told the Press: "The pitch will be retained to support the migration of the hockey club and other community users to Dunfermline Learning Campus but there are no plans to retain it after that."

There are 'no plans' to keep the astroturf hockey pitch at the old Woodmill High site. (Image: David Wardle) The new St Columba's and Woodmill high schools opened on the campus last month.

It has an astroturf pitch suitable for hockey - the Carnegie club was one of those who complained that they're having to wait until next month before the sports facilities will open for community use - but it will soon be the only one in West Fife.

In the meantime the club are using the pitch at the old Woodmill, while the school buildings are fenced off in preparation for the demolition works. The council did not clarify if the pitch will be rolled up and used somewhere else.

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The decision to sell off the old school sites in Abbeyview for housing dashed any hopes of a new leisure centre being developed there.

And for all the impressive sporting facilities at the new campus in Halbeath, it does not have a swimming pool.

The council reiterated: "Providing swimming pools in our new build schools is assessed on a case-by-case basis, considering what’s available nearby."

They said they didn't propose a pool for the campus as "Carnegie Leisure Centre is three miles from Dunfermline Learning Campus and has three swimming pools".

Councillors pointed out there was already an 18-month wait for swimming lessons in West Fife, before the closure of the Woodmill pool. (Image: Newsquest) The old Woodmill had a pool, which was used by the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust to give swimming lessons to local youngsters, and the council said that other school pools in Inverkeithing, Lochgelly, Kirkcaldy or Glenrothes are being used instead.

Addressing the subject at the recent City of Dunfermline area committee, Councillor Aude Boubaker-Calder had said: "The demolition of Woodmill and closure of Inverkeithing High (in two years time) will leave West Fife with only one swimming pool.

"It's created a significant concern as the Carnegie Leisure Centre is already struggling to meet the needs of various clubs and the general public with 18 month waiting times for swimming lessons.

"As it stands the Carnegie is simply not equipped to handle demand, especially in light of the growing focus on re-introducing swimming lessons to the school curriculum in Fife."

At last month's meeting, Dunfermline councillors agreed a motion to ask the council's cabinet committee for a written explanation as to why a request in April 2023 for a feasibility study into the future of leisure provision in the city hasn't been carried out.

Cllr Gavin Ellis said: "I know the feasibility study now has a date in the forward work programme and we can start to shift the concern away from residents where it's yet more housing and the council or councillors getting brown envelopes, and we'll know it's not set in stone that the whole site will be used for housing."