The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Council Election 2017
Glenrothes West & Kinglassie
A ward of contrasts, Glenrothes West and Kinglassie could easily claim to be a microcosm for Fife.
Incorporating Kinglassie as a traditional mining community, along with the densely populated housing schemes in Tanshall, Macedonia and Glenwood, both are in stark contrast to the leafy suburbs of Finglassie, in the south of the town, home to some of the largest and most desirable properties in Glenrothes.
To get elected here, candidates will have to listen carefully to the varied demands of voters.
Many of the town’s ageing housing estates are crying out for regeneration, while assurances will be demanded over the future of local schools, following the closure of Tanshall Primary in 2015.
The state of roads in the south of the ward has also got the backs up of voters, while the promise to tackle unruly woodland will also prove to be a vote winner in an area where many homes are shrouded by pretty but problematic trees.
Seldom has a ward seen so much change since the 2012 elections, with Craig Walker winning a 2015 by-election for the SNP following the death of Labour councillor Betty Campbell.
Just two months later, Bill Brown, having been elected as an SNP councillor, left the party to become an independent, while Peter Grant stood down from his position after being elected as MP for Glenrothes. He was replaced following a by-election by Julie Ford, also of the SNP.
Just three councillors will be elected in Glenrothes West and Kinglassie this time, down from four in 2012.
It means that Ward 13 is about to prove very unlucky for someone, but it’s too close to call.