Civic group ‘horrified’ as bushes dug up at historic Volunteers’ Green in Kirkcaldy

Kirkcaldy Civic Society said it was “astounded and horrified at the devastation” - and demanded that Fife Council re-plant them.

But the local authority said the work was just the start of a plan to bring back into use a space that is little used and looks tired and neglected.

The debate over the green has been on-going for some time, and councillors are aware of the sensitivities around its history - it got its name as the place where volunteers signed up to serve their country.

And while it has been diminished in size over the decades, Volunteers’ Green remains a place for quiet contemplation, and people who use it insist that cannot be lost in any new masterplan.

Kirkcaldy Civic Society committee said it was appalled to see the shrubs and bushes removed.

It described the current view as a “bare earth desert” adding: “Every plant and bush has been dug up and removed. The only green in this erstwhile green space comes from the patches of grass in the middle - and, bizarrely, from the buddleia and other weeds growing untouched in the stone walls!”

The society was formed in 1973 to campaign against the former Kirkcaldy Town Council’s plans to turn the plan into a cap park - a fight it won. Members say they are asking themselves if history is repeating itself as “Fife Council has yet again high-handedly made decisions without consultation with the people of Kirkcaldy who own the ground.”

It said: “A notice on the gate informed us that Volunteers' Green was to be closed for a week to allow for cutting back bushes to ground level. Unfortunately this must be Ground Zero as no living bush is left above or below ground.

“We call on Fife Council to reinstate the planting in Volunteers' Green and restore it to ‘a little oasis in which to sit and reflect away from the hectic pace of everyday life’ before Spring arrives in earnest.”

Councillor Ian Cameron, convenor of Kirkcaldy area committee, said the green’s history was understood - and the work was the start of plans to improve it. Bushes and shrubs have been cut back to stop nesting birds being disturbed as the work is done.

He said: “When looking at Volunteers Green we need to consider the overall vision of the Town Centre where more people will live, where there will be more leisure facilities and social space. Volunteers Green then needs to be more attractive, inter-generational, distinct, and vibrant, more inclusive and accessible.

“Volunteers Green has suffered from neglect. The cast iron gates and railings have deteriorated and the whole area looks tired. It is little used and is less than inspirational as a place to sit and reflect, never mind enjoy with your family. For such an important space it lacks a sense of place and does not integrate well with existing pathways from the town.

“It needs to be that green oasis with flexible space, and the architects who designed Slessor Gardens in Dundee were appointed because of their expertise in waterfront developments that fit the place. They have been fully briefed in all consultations and are fully aware of the historic significance of the site. “