The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Fears for old village school
Alisted Kinglassie landmark is under offer after being put on the market for £75,000. Fife Council confirmed a buyer had come forward for the old library and community halls, which was originally opened as the village’s school in the late 1800s.
Sheena McGowan, who is secretar y of Kinglassie Community Council, said there had been hopes the building could have been preserved for community use.
With future plans for the C- listed site yet to be revealed, there is concern over how it will be developed because of its prominent importance heritage.
“It’s nostalgic for people who remember it being used. It’s a lovely old bu i ld ing ,” sa id Ms McGowan.
“I would like to see it used again and see it safe.”
The Victorian structure served as the village’s main school building for 30 years before pupils moved into the existing primary school, a few minutes’ walk away along Main Street.
I t con t inued to accommodate woodwork, cooking , sewing and science classes for a number of years before being used for community activities, including library location and to the village’s and housing clinic.
Latterly it was home to community groups and served as a hub for the former mining village.
Ms McGowan, a former community worker who helped with activities at the halls, said: “It was a pity it closed. We were saying to people it was temporary but that turned into permanent.
“But everything seems to have changed, not just down to Covid-19, because before that money was tight and things were pulled back to the centre.”
Resident Allan Taaffe said many in Kinglassie feel the village has been left behind by Fife Council. services and a
Meanwhile, the derelict state of the library building has led to safety concerns.
Mr Taaffee said: “The condition of the building over the years has deteriorated.
“There is no doubt that most of the village feel badly let down by the loss of the building and its facilities, as well as the loss
contributing to belief held council does enough for the its people.”
There have been calls for the hall across from the site, which was once part of the old school, to be taken over by the community.
The boarded-up hall at number 53 Main Street is
the general that the not care village and
sub jec t to a t i t le investigation, which will have to be resolved before community interest is considered.
Ms McGowan added: “It’s not as easy as just saying br ing it back into community use. It’s going to need upgrading as its been lying empty longer than the old library has.”