Burntisland burn pathway to be transformed in new revamp

The community council submitted its proposals for Cot Burn to Fife Council back in September, outlining how it hoped to replace the existing “ugly” fencing alongside the burn and install seating and natural play equipment beside the existing asphalt path.

They also proposed planting new trees and installing information boards with details of the Cot Burn’s history and its flora and fauna.

In a statement included with their application, the community council said the burn, bordering the north of Toll Park, had become neglected in recent years.

Existing fencing limited the maintenance that could be carried out along the water, it said, leading to overgrowth and an abundance of litter.

Having reviewed the application, Fife Council planning officers have given it their approval.

Case officer Brian Forsyth approved the proposal with a single condition, requiring the Community Council to seek the council’s approval for its finalised designs before work could begin.

“The proposed options are small scale and appropriate to and in character with such a leisure path environment,” he wrote in his final report.

“As such, it is considered that the proposals would not have a significant detrimental visual impact on the surrounding area, seeing the amenity of the local area protected.”

Alex MacDonald, chairman of the Burntisland Community Council, said the planning approval was set to realise a decades-long goal.

He said: “We’ve wanted to do something about the burn for the past 30 years or so.

“However, it’s only in recent months that ideas have come together and funding has nearly been secured that we have been able to progress.

“The end result will be a burn which is attractive to wildlife, safe for people to walk alongside and also informative about the immediate environment. It will significantly enhance an area which has become increasingly difficult to maintain.”

He added: “We still have some way to go before the results will be visible but I’m certain it will be very widely welcomed.”