Pub boss calls time over condition of a Glenrothes centre

Zoe Walling, who runs the Dixon Arms in the Glamis Centre at Pitteuchar, says that she and fellow tenants are dismayed at the run-down condition of the centre ,which she describes as a “total disgrace”.

She says that she has contacted the group which oversees the running of the centre to complain about its current state, but has had no response.

And she is so disillusioned that she is going to give up the tenancy when her lease runs out – which could mean the end for the Dixon Arms unless a new tenant can be found.

She said: “There are broken windows, pot holes and overgrown grass and weeds everywhere.

“People have tripped on the uneven surface when they’ve left the pub.

“I contacted J B & G Forsyth who look after the running of the centre at the start of the year but have had no joy.

“There are people on my Trip Advisor page making negative comments about the state of the centre, so that could have a negative effect on business.”

Zoe took over the running of the pub from her husband 18 months ago but has been involved with it for the last 13 years and in that time says the centre has deteriorated.

“It was okay when we first came here but it has got steadily worse and worse to the condition it’s in now which is absolutely dreadful.

“It was given a paint job around 10 years ago, but even then Fife Council had to get involved to make it happen.

“Since then they’ve done nothing to it apart from put in some new paving slabs.”

Zoe was visited by Glenrothes councillor, Ross Vettraino, who agreed that the centre needs tidied up.

“I had noticed myself that in terms of ground maintenance the ground was declining,” he said, “something needs to be done about it.

“I checked with Fife Council and it is properly maintaining the ground which is council-owned. The ground which is not being maintained is that which is owned by the owners of the town centre and they have J B & G Forsyth as their agents.

“I’ll be taking it up with them to see what plans they have to improve the place, but there are broader issues than that.

“The council de-litters the Glamis Centre, even though it’s private property, so the council are going above and beyond in that regard.

“The ground maintenance though, the weeds that are growing out now, looks just awful.

“There has been a lot of growth because it’s been wet recently and to tell you truth, I’ve never seen it looking so bad.”

Cllr Vettraino said that if no work is done on the centre he intends to act.

“I’m going to seek to take action in terms of the Local Government In Scotland Act,” he said. “There is provision in that act for local authority to take action in situations whereby the condition of land is affecting the amenity of the area and I do think the condition of Glamis Centre is doing just that.

“To be fair to Forsyth’s they did a lot of good work last year when renewed a lot of the paving slabs and removed cobbles in the town centre, but they need to be doing something about the soft landscape.

“It’s not being maintained at all and it looks shocking and now we have Zoe talking about leaving which means the town could lose another pub.”

The Gazette contacted J B & G Forsyth but received no reply.