Fife rail heritage group gets green light to use buildings left behind from Leven Rail Link work

Visitors to Fife Heritage Railway (FHR) could soon see a brand new reception, cafe, bookshop, museum display, and railway exhibition area.

The organisation has secured planning permission from Fife Council to expand its facilities at Kirkland Yard Leven.

The society operates, maintains, and restores preserved railway items formerly used on the Lochty Railway, and makes them available to the public.

It has been based at Kirkland Yards since 2001, and now it plans to make use of three of the temporary construction buildings left behind by Network Rail following the completion of work on the Levenmouth Rail Link.

A planning statement said: “This will further enhance visitor facilities and will also provide opportunities for local volunteering, tackling skills gaps, developing young people, and provide opportunities for all ages and abilities for leisure and social interaction.”

According to the society, approximately 10,000 people visit the Kirkland Yards site each year, and the society wants to see those numbers continue to grow. It believes that expanding its facilities will make that a possibility.

Last January, Levenmouth area committee councillors agreed to set aside up to £80,000 from the Community Recovery Fund towards the purchase of the temporary units – which is when the heritage trust’s expansion plans were first revealed.

It plans to use the largest building for a reception, cafe, bookshop, museum display area, a model railway exhibition, research and reading space, toilets, staff areas, and officer space for Fife Council.

The second building would be used by Fife Coast and Countryside Trust as staff welfare facilities, and the third by the Community Trade Hub as a training unit for the STEM mechanics unit.

“The proposal seeks to make a positive contribution to its immediate environment and provide additional facilities and allow growth of this existing popular visitor attraction,” a planning statement said.

A supporting statement, submitted as part of the application, said: “The proposal seeks to make a positive contribution to its immediate environment and provide additional facilities and allow growth of this existing popular visitor attraction.”

Councillors gave their consent with the standard caveat that work must begin within three years.