Burntisland Harbour: group urges Fife Council to tackle access in ‘Fight The Fences’ campaign

The contentious issue has already sparked a demonstration through the town, and locals have also raised £6500 for Burntisland Harbour Access Trust (BHAT) to commission professional legal opinion.

The row started in 2021 when Forth Ports got the green light from the council to fence off the working part of the harbour on the grounds of health and safety and to make the site safe and secure. The move proved hugely contentious among locals who argued the port has been used by walkers, cyclists anglers, photographers and wildlife enthusiasts for generations and is an integral part of the town.

The campaign group staged a demo in 2021 attended by hundreds of people which helped it hit its target of 1000 names to register its ‘right to buy’ bid under the Land Reform Act. It has continued to campaign for the fences to be removed, and said it took its campaign back to the council, frustrated by “the lack of Forth Ports' response to repeated requests for a meeting.”

BHAT’s board has launched an ‘Obey The Law’ campaign to force the local authority to accept its responsibilities to enforce existing access legislation regarding public access rights of way. It said residents designated regaining access to the harbour as a top priority in last year’s Community Action Plan and dug deep to ensure the board could commission professional legal opinion.

Andy Pay, speaking on behalf of BHAT, said: “Forth Ports have always claimed that they are acting purely in the interests of health and safety but we all know that’s a sham. In the long history of public access there has not been a single reported accident to anyone enjoying the harbour and breakwater for activities such as angling from the breakwater, dog walking, wildlife watching etc.

“Furthermore the company’s own industry guidelines contain numerous examples of how amenity use of a busy harbour or port can be safely integrated with commercial activity. We believe the real reason behind the move is that it doesn’t want to jeopardise its vision for the planned green freeport, but we believe that restored public access is compatible with the concept.”

Members of BHAT attended a recent public meeting in the town attended by Forth Ports representatives, and were hopeful of a meeting - but said they have been left waiting for over six weeks.

Added Andy: “We were able to ask a number of questions, and specifically when Forth Ports would respond to our request to meet. They agreed to a meeting and we have heard nothing since,. It is frustrating.”

A spokesperson from Forth Ports said: “As the owners of the Port of Burntisland, we are legally responsible for ensuring the safety of everyone at what is a working harbour. Prior to receiving planning permission from Fife Council and before the fence was installed in 2022, we consulted widely with community representatives and local politicians and we continue to be heavily involved in local community support and engagement. The fence still enables the people of Burntisland to walk through the port, but safely and avoiding areas of higher risk.”