Fife Council

It was celebrations today at Abbeyview Community Hub as it was officially opened by Cllrs Linda Erskine and James Calder. This state-of-the-art, £8M facility, funded by Fife Council, has transformed the former Local Office building into a vibrant community space, which includes: - Reception area with interview spaces - Multi-purpose activity space - Community function space - Teaching kitchen - IT suite - Community space with kitchen - Secure garden and play area This innovative facility will pave the way for future opportunities in Abbeyview, providing the community with the space it needs to grow and thrive. For more information, visit: fife.gov.uk/abbeyviewhub #AbbeyviewCommunityHub #OurDunfermline #abbeyviewhub

A reminder that the second of three free public workshops exploring climate change and its impact on the Fife coastline will take place in Burntisland tomorrow evening (Wed 22 Jan). The sessions aim to bring together community members, climate experts and other interested parties to look closely at the current and predicted future impacts of climate change on coastal communities, and what we can all do to address the challenges faced both now and over the coming years. Tomorrow's workshop in Burntisland will be at the Toll Community Centre in East Toll Park between 7pm and 8.30pm. The third will be held in Coaltown of Wemyss Village Hall in Main Street, Coaltown of Wemyss, on Wednesday, February 5, from 6.30pm to 8pm. Read more and sign up: https://lnkd.in/euHDQxtt

Help shape your local environment! Are you passionate about your local environment? Over the next few weeks, we’re hosting climate workshops across Fife to create a more sustainable and resilient future. Join us to: -Explore a climate ready Fife and tackle local climate challenges -Identify opportunities for climate action -Access practical support, from climate literacy training to tree planting! We’ll cover key topics like greener spaces, waste reduction, active travel, health and wellbeing, local food systems, and recovering from extreme weather events. Come along to share your ideas and shape priorities for change in your community. To Have your say and book in, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eZQSqm5D

Could you help a young Fifer find their feet this New Year? Many young people leaving care at 16 aren’t quite ready to go out on their own, so our supported lodgings providers help give them a safe, supportive and secure home environment as they become more independent. Join us providing supported lodging accommodation to local young people. We provide lots of support to you and your family while you host a young person. Get in touch with us about becoming a supported lodgings provider this year and come along to our pop-up shop in the Kingdom Shopping Centre, Glenrothes, from 3-8 February to get a bit more info. We’d love to hear from you: https://lnkd.in/e-6_zZ27

Share your thoughts on the River Leven Walk! We want to hear your ideas and feedback on the development of a long-distance walking route along the River Leven, which aims to connect Levenmouth to Loch Leven. We have been working with local stakeholders on a proposal for this route and want to hear your feedback to consider in the design process. Join us for a public drop-in session to discuss the project on Thursday, February 6th, between 3pm and 7pm at The Lomond Centre, Woodside Way, Glenrothes, KY7 5RA. For more information about the project, please visit the following link: https://arcg.is/0XmT4C

🌍 Be Part of a Climate-Ready Fife! 🌱 Want to make a difference in 2025? Join the Climate Action Workshops across Fife and help shape a sustainable future! This is your chance to share ideas, set priorities, and drive real change in your community. 📍 Find a workshop near you and sign up now 👉 https://lnkd.in/eP3w2JJx Let’s create a better tomorrow! #ClimateActionFife #Sustainability Fife Networking, Business Gateway Fife, Fife Chamber of Commerce

Come along to our Drop-in event in the Kingdom Shopping Centre, Glenrothes, from 3-8 February between 10am-6pm. Ever considered fostering? This is a great chance to speak to foster carers and social workers to find out what’s involved. You can find out a lot online, but speaking to someone with real experiences of fostering can provide useful insights. We’ll be in the retail unit next to WH Smith all week from 10am-6pm with a mixture of staff and carers – it would be great to see you there.  Take the chance to find out more about fostering, adoption, Shared Lives, or supported lodgings (providing care and accommodation for young people leaving care or facing homelessness). Get extra info and enquire at https://foster.fife.scot

A new year means a new look Riverside Park in Glenrothes, and work on several fronts is continuing over the next few months. Almost £5 million was secured from the UK Government to turn what many may have once considered an under-used asset into a key destination for locals and visitors alike. Amazing progress has already been made, as you’ll have experienced if you’ve recently visited, and contractors remain on track to complete the park’s transformation by the end of March this year. A new £1m savannah-themed adventure playpark is taking shape nicely, and work has started this week on a new 120m x 60m pump cycling track which will be fully accessible and capable of hosting international competitions. Major pathway regeneration works have been carried out to not only build new routes but upgrade existing paths to provide better connections in and around the park; car parks have been resurfaced and extended; new toilets are in the pipeline; and the pond has been completely rejuvenated following extensive dredging and land maintenance. The planned programme of work will continue this month on both sides of the park, with staircase improvements pencilled in for Riverside Park West over the next few weeks. Work to enhance the B969 River Leven Bridge, known locally as the White Bridge, is also expected to start the week beginning January 21, and temporary traffic lights will be in operation. To the east side of the park, in addition to the playpark and pump track projects, the car park extension has started and will continue right through to the end of March – meaning it will be closed whilst work is ongoing. Drainage and path works will also be carried out in certain areas. Councillor John Beare, convener of the Glenrothes Area Committee, said: “2025 will be a massive year for the town and we can’t wait to see the plans for Riverside Park come to fruition. “The playpark, which will be accessible to children of all ages and abilities, already looks fantastic, and that’s even before the giant hippo equipment is installed to reflect the town’s long-standing association with them. “We’d like to thank members of the public for their continued patience as work around the park continues, and I think we’re all looking forward to the revamped Riverside Park being fully open in the Spring.” Looking further forward, work is ongoing behind the scenes to introduce new activities to Riverside Park, so watch this space, while more than 4,000 trees and 300,000 bulbs are being planted as part of the environmental enhancements in the area. As ever, the planned work programme is dependent on weather conditions, and further updates will be provided as/when necessary.

Help shape development in Fife! We’re welcoming ideas and sites for potential development to inform the next Local Development Plan - Fife’s Place Plan. We're gathering input on how land across Fife might be used for housing, employment, infrastructure, community spaces and environmental projects. As part of our commitment towards reducing our environmental impact, we’re also looking for suggestions about land that’s suitable for nature recovery, biodiversity or carbon offsetting. Residents, landowners, developers and community organisations are encouraged to contribute their ideas. Call for sites and ideas opened on the 18th November 2024 and will close at noon on the 24 February 2025. Please visit www.fife.gov.uk/FPP to find out more about the process for submitting your sites and/or ideas for Fife's places.

Plans to create a high quality, fully accessible new shared path network to connect the new rail stations at Leven and Cameron Bridge alongside the River Leven have been approved by councillors. Members of Fife Council’s Cabinet Committee today agreed that the River Park Routes element of the wider Levenmouth Connectivity Project should be progressed at an estimated cost of £6.118 million – with delivery to be done through the SCAPE Civil Engineering Framework and the council’s Road Maintenance and Civil Engineering Minor Works Framework.    The decision means that work is expected to start on developing and/or upgrading 3km of existing paths along the River Leven in the Spring, linking residential areas and allowing communities to access the river and existing assets in the area. New lighting, railings and seated rest areas will be provided as part of the project, with tree planting and management of any invasive species encountered along the route also factored into the proposals. Councillor Altany Craik, Fife Council spokesperson for Finance, Economy & Strategic Planning, said: “It’s a really exciting time for Levenmouth, and the Leven Rail Link and associated programmes has brought over £150m of direct investment to the Levenmouth area which is a key regeneration focus of Fife Council. “Now that the new Levenmouth railway line is operational, these new River Park Routes will help improve connectivity for walking, cycling and wheeling for local communities and link the new rail stations at Cameron Bridge and Leven and surrounding communities via new bridges at Duniface and Mountfleurie. “This project will ensure that a coherent and complete network of paths is available to encourage and support active travel in the area.” Today’s decision was taken to ensure the River Park Routes can be delivered by March 2026 after Transport Scotland revised its funding delivery model for active travel – hence the need to reprofile the Levenmouth Connectivity Project. The creation of the remaining on-road active travel network along Methilhaven Road, which is expected to cost almost £5m, will therefore be deferred until funding from Transport Scotland/Sustrans is confirmed, while councillors were also reassured that the £5.83m new active travel bridge planned for Mountfleurie is on track for completion by March 2026 if revised designs are approved as anticipated. In all, more than £16.8m has been allocated to the Levenmouth Connectivity Project over a three-year period from various sources – split between the River Park Routes, the Mountfleurie active travel bridge, the on-road active travel network and for any contingency funding required. Artist’s impressions of how the River Leven Park routes might look are shown below.