Can you help shape your Kirkcaldy area neighbourhood?

Members of the public are being urged to seek out opportunities in their neighbourhoods to shape a community-led future.
A recent meeting of the Templehall Neighbourhood Development PartnershipA recent meeting of the Templehall Neighbourhood Development Partnership
A recent meeting of the Templehall Neighbourhood Development Partnership

New relationships have been built in Templehall, Linktown and Invertiel, Gallatown and the Castle area of Burntisland thanks to targetted resources, which have led to local initiatives being delivered from playparks and allotments to health clubs and family participation.

Now there’s a fresh call to locals to engage in what is termed Neighbourhood Development Plans in these areas, with a new Plan 4 Kirkcaldy Area to work towards.

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Councillor Neil Crooks, convenor of Kirkcaldy area committee, said update reports on neighbourhood development plans are presented to the committee every six months.

“These initiatives are fashioned by the people who live there and have a much more meaningful and positive impact as a result.

“Doing things ‘to’ people is in the past and doing things ‘with’ people is very much how we want to work.

“There are local groups, local clubs, tenants and residents groups, council services, emergency services and NHS services all working in partnership around you to offer help and advice and make it easy to engage.

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“The partnerships that drive change in these neighbourhoods are good at being responsive to local concerns.

“For example, a crime initiatives subgroup was established earlier this year in the Linktown and Invertiel area because of concerns about anti-social behaviour and criminal activity. The group have already implemented two local campaigns.

“The ‘You’re Asking For It’ campaign ran during the Links Market and highlighted the dangers and consequences of purchasing alcohol for under 18s. And more recently, there has been a Crimestoppers campaign to encourage residents to report crime and let them know that this can be done anonymously.”

There is a wide range of community-led initiatives currently being progressed in neighbourhoods across the local area, helping to ensure things like family sessions, health drop-in events, youth action groups, employability pathways and community food projects run for their residents.

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From quick win small-scale consultations on how best to spend local budgets to long term master planning, neighbourhood development groups are now established at the heart of this community work.

Cllr Crooks added: “Communities change over time and, although we are lucky enough to already have some fantastic community activists, fresh perspectives and new ideas are always welcome.

“We’d love to hear from people interested in how they could get involved in projects and help to shape decisions that affect their local community.”

Shane Halstead is a member of the Linktown Tenants and Residents Group and the Linktown and Invertiel Neighbourhood Development Partnership.

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He said: “I think our ‘You’re Asking For It’ campaign has been a success. Before the campaign started we would often have groups of youths hanging around Links Street, many worst for wear. Now the large numbers have mostly disappeared.

“The Crimestoppers campaign is still going on but the feedback from the local community is very positive and they feel that somebody is caring for them.

“None of this would have been possible without our local Neighbourhood Development Partnership.”

While Sharon Reynolds, chairman of the Dallas Drive Tenants and Residents’ Association, added: “It’s great to work side by side with the NDP, we are able to help each other out and feed off of each other. They are a great support network and always willing to help you out.”

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If it is tenants and residents issues and you want to know if you have a Tenants and Residents Association in your area, contact the Tenant Participation Team on [email protected] or call 01383 602220.

If you’d like to find out more about community-led initiatives in your area and the Plan 4 Kirkcaldy Area, visit our.fife.scot/kirkcaldyarea.

If you are interested in taking part in neighbourhood decision making, contact your local development officer - Templehall and Linktown & Invertiel, Leah Levein by emailing [email protected] or call 01592 583475; Gallatown and Castle, Burntisland, Izzy Whyte by emailing [email protected] or call 01592 583475.

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