Glenrothes’ Back Burn to flow freely after £1m investment

Redundant Back Burn River barriers will be removed, flood plains made free, and natural waterways restored after the Glenrothes Area Committee agreed to contribute £100,000 to the river project on Wednesday.

The investment ultimately secured “significant” £850,000 funding from SEPA for the continued investment to restore 5.8 kilometres of the Back Burn – also known as the Conland, Coul and Balbirnie Burn – to a more natural state.

“The River Leven and its tributaries and burns are a vital part of the local landscape and through our history they’ve played an important role in our local industries, but now we need to improve the physical ecological condition restoring the water courses to a more natural condition,” Andy MacLellan, a community projects manager, told the committee.

The restoration work between Rhind Hill in the Lomond Hills and Newton, north of Markinch aims to restore the river for the benefit of local people and wildlife.

The project will see small redundant barriers like posts, walls and fences crossing the burn removed from the waterway – allowing the river and its sediment to flow freely.

However, Mr MacLellan said the focus for the funding from the Glenrothes committee will focus on fully rerouting the Coul Den Burn through its original, natural channels.

“This will involve adapting the weir to allow the burn to reconnect with its original channel around the blue sluice gate,” a committee report said.

“Once water begins to flow down the original channel more will flow into and leave the reservoir. This will improve local ecology and wet woodland habitat around this area.”

There was no argument from councillors about the £100,000 investment on Wednesday. Councillor John Beare (SNP for Glenrothes North, Leslie and Markinch) said it’s great value for Fife to put in £100,000 and get £850,000 back in match funding.

“If our limited investment will secure that wider investment, we absolutely have to support it,” he said.

Councillor Ross Vettraino (SNP for Glenrothes Central and Thornton) added: “I’m not an ecologist or a hydrologist but SEPA certainly seems to be attaching a great deal of importance to this project, and I’m persuaded.”

The investment was approved unanimously.