New bid to bring forgotten Ravenscraig Park building back into use

Rural Skills Scotland Ltd, based in Auchtermuchty, has applied to take over the East Lodge at Ravenscraig Park and convert it from a residential bungalow into an office and training space.

The firm is a non-profit that provides SVQs in estate management and maintenance as well as environmental conservation and general woodland, along with a modern apprenticeship in rural skills.

Stewart Christie, a director in the firm, believes the conversion of the East Lodge would be a good use of the building, and would fit with RSS' plans to lease part of the walled garden at Ravenscraig for training purposes.

"What we'd like to do is use the bungalow and that area of the walled garden to provide pre-employment skills training and volunteering opportunities," he said.

"We'd be looking to work with a range of people from those with a passive interest in working outdoors and those that are deadly serious about it."

Nature based jobs such as those in forestry account for around 195,000 jobs in Scotland but the sector faces challenges in the form of a lack of skilled staff and training opportunities, according to government body NatureScot.

It is these challenges that RSS aims to tackle head-on, though it is yet to decide exactly what types of training it will carry out in Kirkcaldy should its bid for both the bungalow and garden space be successful.

"Like a lot of industries the rural sector has an ageing population working in it," Christie added.

"Our whole plan is to get a younger age group involved. It's fine for those living in a rural area that might have connections with farmers or forestry, but in an urban area a career like that might not be your first thought.

"I've got experience of working with young people from Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and Levenmouth that hadn't thought about a career in the sector but have gone on to work in it full time.

"What we're about is providing opportunities for people to come have a try at it, see how they like it and give them some training.

"It's about supporting people to go to college, get a job, volunteer, anything, in a nutshell."

Neighbours in the immediate area have been notified and can submit comments on the application until September 9, with a decision expected to be made by mid-October.

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