ALEX Rowley has been assured that Fife Council leaders and officials will come to Benarty to consult on the development of Lochore Meadows Country Park.

The council's Executive Committee is to meet on Tuesday to discuss what should be done with the proposal to replace the park's visitor centre and also the decision by the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust to withdraw from the management of the park.

Speaking this week following a meeting with Fife Council's Chief Executive Steve Grimmond to discuss the issues around the proposed new visitor centre at Lochore Meadows Country Park, Mr Rowley has said ‘there should be no further delays and the council should get on with the task of building a new Visitor Centre’.

One of Mr Rowley’s last acts as Council Leader in 2014 was to bring forward a budget of £1million to invest in a visitor's centre at the ‘Meedies’ along with replacing the £120,000 of cuts made to the revenue staffing budget by the previous SNP administration.

Mr Rowley a long-term campaigner for the country park said: “Like many people, I believe the way the matter has been dealt with particularly the lack of a full consultation with all of the communities in the area has been flawed, and I made this very clear to the Council Chief Executive.

"However, we are where we are and there is a real danger that if they do not get on with the new building we will be left with no adequate facilities".

He continued: “The option of going into the summer with no replacement facilities poses some real risks. Apart from the obvious problems with temporary portacabins for toilets, cafeteria and the reputational damage to the park, there is no guarantee of any extra funding and we could also lose the sports facilities that are part of the proposal.

"We also could lose the economies of scale as well as incurring further professional fees not to mention annual rising costs.

"I am aware that grant applications were made to other organisations including the Scottish Government and they were not successful, so it seems to me it is no more than wishful thinking that we can secure millions more for this project."