Public to help shape plans for major tourism landmark
THE public will get to have their say on the multi-million pound plans to turn an old opencast coal mine west of Kelty into a major tourism and leisure destination.
National Pride (St Ninians Ltd) will host two consultation meetings to outline their ambitious proposals for an eco-wellness park on 976 acres of land close to junction 4 of the M90.
They will be at Kingseat Community Centre on Thursday February 8 and Thursday March 7 at Kelty Community Centre, both between 3.30pm and 7.30pm.
Irene Bisset, director of National Pride (St Ninians) Ltd, said: “We are very excited about the enormous potential of this astonishing site.
“As custodians, we take our responsibilities very seriously and our aim is to deliver an attractive, welcoming place for all.”
National Pride, a community interest company, wants to promote health and wellness within a sustainable ecology park, providing places for relaxation and rejuvenation, whilst at the same time providing local economic benefits through leisure, entertainment and tourism.
Education and training opportunities, especially for vulnerable adults, will be included and the project will create significant employment, supporting local businesses in the supply chain.
Due to the scale of development, National Pride are required to undertake pre-application consultation, commencing with a proposal of application notice.
This gives them a 12 weeks consultation period and, at the end of this, they will seek planning permission in principle from Fife Council.
The application is expected around the end of March 2024.
The first public consultation will be a high-level overview of the proposed development, with the second public consultation bringing forward responses gained from the first meeting.
National Pride bought a huge swathe of land at St Ninians and Loch Fitty in May 2021 and told the Press of their exciting plans.
They include a wellness spa complex, tree houses, lodges and geodesic domes, a trout fishery and aquatic centre, technology park, entertainment centre and beautiful parkland designed to boost mental and physical health, particularly for those suffering from cancer and heart disease.
National Pride said they’ll keep the landforms created as part of Charles Jencks’ Fife Earth Project, which couldn’t be completed after Scottish Coal went bust, and gave their backing to the installation of a national memorial on the site for the thousands of Scots who were executed for being a witch.
They have similar plans for an eco-therapy wellness park at a former coal mine in East Ayrshire.
A project website for the Kelty site has been created at www.stninianswellness.com.
It states: “St Ninian’s Wellness subscribes to the evidential fact that healthy lifestyles promoting outdoor activities is a considerable benefit to the population of all ages.”