ANALYSIS

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

But it would have taken a very biased observer to wax lyrical over the aesthetic attributes of Lochgelly.

Like many Scottish towns and villages, Lochgelly thrived during the boom years of the mining industry.

The demise of coal left not only scars on the landscape, but in the souls of communities.

Jobs were scarce, businesses closed and hope sometime seemed lost amid the bleak, boarded-up shops and derelict premises littering the town.

Infamously, Lochgelly was then nominated for the Plook on the Plinth Award in the 2010 Carbuncle Awards – meaning it was in the running to be named Scotland’s most dismal town.

But like a phoenix rising from the ashes left behind by the redundant pits, Lochgelly is looking towards a brighter future. Renowned designer Andres Duany arrived from the US in 2010 to lead a groundbreaking charrette, laying the paving stones for its regeneration and forming the cornerstone of a masterplan which stretches to 2066.

At its heart, which stopped beating when the coal industry did, would be a vibrant and viable town centre.

Awards and finance, to help transform disadvantaged areas, have trickled in and improvements are tangible – a new business centre, revamped Lochgelly Centre, transformed Town House.

Few would argue there is still a long way to go, but now the mountain to climb seems a bit smaller than the pit bings that used to circle Lochgelly.

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They did a lot over the summer, they had kids out planting flower beds, and it looked beautiful. There are a lot of new shops now. There is quite a lot going on. There is a difference from the days it was up for the Carbuncle award. Leah Cormack, 25, works in Special Occasions shop.

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We come up and use the local shops and we have seen an improvement. It is cleaner and there is not a lot of empty shops now. It is a nice place to stay. Helen Adam, 47, lives in the “bottom end” of the town.

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It is fine, there is enough to do, but there isn’t really a community centre. Amy Adam, 14, third-year pupil at Lochgelly High.

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It is up-and-coming, there are a lot of houses being sold very quickly now. They are good for first-time buyers. I have met people from Edinburgh while out walking the dog who have moved here and they can’t get over how friendly it is. Helga Campbell, 63, Lochgelly born and bred.