Project to clean up Fife river and make it more accessible

At the Fife Partnership Board on Tuesday, a development plan for Levenmouth showed that a new focus would be on cleaning up the river – and encouraging more visitors.

As part of a partnership with SEPA and other organisations, Fife Council will look at a range of issues, including improving the water quality, bio diversity and the use of space for recreation.

Further work would be carried out to improve connectivity and reduce the anti-social behaviour associated with the area.

David Paterson, Levenmouth community manager, told the board: “The river project will look at one of Levenmouth’s least utilised projects. Every other town and city is built around their rivers, but we have constantly turned our back on ours.

“SEPA will be helping to clean up the river – it was once the most polluted river in Scotland, with all the factories pouring waste into it.

“But, give them credit, they’ve also seen it as a much wider project. We are engaging in work to go back to Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity, to look at funding.

“We want to see paths connected to the river, and to give people a reason to go there, making it safer and more accessible.”

Mr Paterson added that it would be part of a wider development of the Leven town centre, looking to connect the river, the town centre and the promenade.

He added: “The rail link will kick off the regeneration of the town centre like no other project could. It will shift how we look at tourism and retail and we expect that it will cause developers to take a bigger interest in the area.”