Levenmouth Reconnected Programme: Major cash boost for three local projects

The Levenmouth Tourism Association; the Leven Skate Park; and the Fife Heritage Railway will all benefit from a combined total of £670,000 from programme’s large grant fund.

On Wednesday, Levenmouth area committee councillors officially rubber stamped the grant awards and declared the projects worthy recipients of the money.

The largest £360,000 grant will go to the Fife Heritage Railway site at Kirkland for the creation of a new conservation building.

Another £252,000 will go toward funding a brand new Leven Skatepark on the site of the existing facility on Leven Promenade.

An additional £58,365 was also awarded to the Levenmouth Discovery Landmarks project, which will see a series of interpretation boards, signs and displays installed around the Levenmouth area to both inform and entertain locals and visitors alike.

These three projects are following in the footsteps of seven other projects that have previously received large grant funding through the programme.

The £10 million fund was set up by both Fife Council and the Scottish Government to “ maximise the economic and social opportunities presented by the recently reopened Levenmouth Rail Link”.

Each project goes through an application and assessment process, which is overseen by the LRP Oversight Group. The group then puts worthy applications through to the area committee for formal approval.

In this case, these three projects won out over 17 other community project applications.

THE PROJECTS

The Heritage Railway project will see the installation of a new steel framed and clad building on the Heritage Rail site for public display and access to trains, train restoration and storage.

According to Fife Council, it will both enhance visitor facilities and provide opportunities for volunteers to develop skills.

The money for the Leven Skatepark will go towards a complete refurbishment of the current “tired” looking park along the Leven promenade.

It’s not the first time councillors or locals have heard of the project – it’s been in the works for some time – but now the project now has the funds available to get going.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for people to enhance their health and wellbeing and it’s at the heart of everything we’re trying to do with the Promenade,” committee convener Colin Davidson (Labour for Leven, Kennoway and Largo) said.

“The skatepark has been a fixture in Leven for a lot of years and it really needed an upgrade, so the LRP has meant we can give something back to young people and it’s going to be a centrepiece for a whole range of activities.”

The new accessible state-of-the-art skatepark will be created on the site of the original park, with new, improved, and modern designs. Street lighting will also be provided.

The Levenmouth Discovery Landmarks initiative will see new signs appear around the region – highlighting local culture and areas of significance.

According to Fife Council, the discovery boards will include information about nature, heritage, society, and feature digital interaction. They will then be designed, built, installed, and maintained by the local Community Trade Hub.

Cllr Davidson explained: “The interpretation board project aims to drive people to specific areas related to the local culture and heritage of the area, and some of the key assets that we have in Levenmouth.”

He added: “Lots of people across Scotland perhaps don’t know about some of the attractions we have here on our doorstep so these boards will help visitors and residents understand a bit more about this wonderful area.”