Levenmouth residents to help shape £10 million rail project

Fife Council had come under fire for its progress with the Levenmouth Blueprint – a £10 million project which aims to make sure the area reaps the maximum rewards from the restoration of the rail line – with campaigners arguing that locals were getting no say in how the funding is spent.

However, the local authority has confirmed that a new group will be formed, made up of members from eight local community councils, Levenmouth Rail Campaign, and local residents.

Ken Gourlay, head of Asset, Transportation and Environment at Fife Council, said the group will play a “key part” in deciding how the money is spent, adding: “We look forward to working with this group and seeing the improvements to Levenmouth in preparation for the rail line returning.”

Levenmouth Rail Campaign chairman Eugene Clarke described the group as a “fantastic opportunity for everyone in the Levenmouth communities and of course the surrounding area to get their share of the rail development bonus”.

“I’d particularly like to thank all the Fife councillors and MSPs who have supported the local community during the campaign.

“We look forward to our first meeting on August 27 and to doing our best to involve everyone in all parts of the Levenmouth community.”

The group will initially be chaired by Levenmouth area convenor, Councillor Ken Caldwell.

He said: “The next step is to engage with local community groups and this will be taking place towards the end of this month. Several have already been invited to join, including the Levenmouth Rail Campaign and community councils.

“This will allow the community to be kept up to date with the progress that is being made with the project. It will also allow the community to feed in their ideas, such as what they think the key priorities and opportunities are that can be realised from the project. This is a very exciting time for Levenmouth with several large projects coming together.”