Fife Council exhausts pot of money set aside to improve appearance of housing estates

Rosyth Men’s Shed receive £847 gift from Asda

THERE’S no more money left in the pot for improvements and repairs to Fife Council estates including those in Inverkeithing, Kincardine and Rosyth.

More than £130,000 was set aside to enhance the appearance of the areas, with cosmetic jobs identified through ‘walkabouts’ with officers and councillors, but the South and West Fife area committee heard they’ve “basically spent the budget” for 2023-24.

By the start of October, less than £5,000 was left and at last week’s meeting convener David Barratt said:

“The estate

THE Rosyth Men’s Shed has received a donation of just under £850 from a Dunfermline business.

Asda St Leonards kindly donated £847 to the group, which will go to buying new power tools for members to walkabouts are extremely valuable.

“It’s good to have them but I also see we’ve basically spent the budget and there’s no money left this financial year.” Cllr Barratt (pictured) said the lack of money was being felt in the Whinnyhill / Manse Road area of Inverkeithing where “not an awful lot of progress” had been made since since improvement works were identified last year on an estate walkabout.

He added: “The railings throughout the area are rusty and look neglected, likewise a lot of render is falling off walls in the public realm that really need to be dealt with.

“The area in general is looking sorry for itself and I think that’s true across a number of council estates.” However, utilise.

Bruce Lumsden, the chairman of Rosyth Men’s Shed, said: “Julie McKell, from Asda St Leonards Dunfermline, visited us to give us a very generous donation of £847. This will enable us to get area housing manager Claire McKinlay said the particular works on the railings and walls come under a different budget, which still has money in it, and should have been progressed.

She added: “I’m not sure why we’re stalling on that to be honest. I can look into it.”

The committee was told the budget had been put to good use with 13 out of 20 estate walkabouts completed and action plans drawn up and progressed, with solar lights installed at Walter Hay Court in Rosyth and work underway to improve the pathways there.

Balconies at the council flats on Forth View and Priory Square in Kincardine had also been replaced.

However, funding has still to be identified funding for Glebe Terrace in Inverkeithing for bin storage improvements, and consultations have to take place with Spittalfield Crescent residents about their gardens. ourselves some much-needed power tools, which we will put to good use.

“We are very grateful for this funding and that Asda thought of us when deciding on a good cause to donate to. “

The Men’s Shed meets

Ms McKinlay also told councillors that, to try to tackle the lack of affordable housing, 12 properties in Inverkeithing, Rosyth, Dalgety Bay, Kincardine, Oakley and Saline had been purchased by the council since March 2022 and eight properties in “high demand” areas in Hillend, Rosyth and Inverkeithing had been freed up through the ‘best use of stock’ initiative.

She added she hoped to see a site start “imminently” in Crombie where 19 new council homes will be built after numerous delays.

Lock-ups in Ramsay

Place in Rosyth are due to be demolished towards the end of the financial year to create parking spaces, and 13 driveways have been installed at council properties in Leighton Street in High Valleyfield and another seven at Spittalfield Crescent in Inverkeithing. on a Thursday at the Rosyth Centenary Orchard in the classroom, and on a Saturday at North Queensferry Marina Yard.

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