CARDENDEN Community Council is unhappy at what they see as plans to remove the minibus facility from the village's Corrie Centre which provides transport for elderly and disabled people.

Council officers have met with the Corrie Centre Management Committee to outline their proposals which may stop access to the minibus which provides a link for elderly and disabled people in the village.

But the council this week has said that it hopes that the services may continue.

Local representatives contacted former councillor Linda Erskine asking for support to fight the removal of the bus.

Linda stated: “I am dismayed at the actions which seems to care not a jot for the impact that this will have on local people.

"These officers have deliberately not informed local councillors of their intentions in the hope that this will be done under the radar.”

She went onto say: “I have contacted the Chief Executive of Fife Council to seek an immediate suspension to this action and to ask for an explanation of their actions. ”

The Corrie Centre has numerous active groups which need an accessible bus to ensure that disabled, elderly and vulnerable residents can participate in activities like the Day Centre, shoppers, discussion and disability groups.

Cath Reilly, a member of the management committee stated: “These officers just keep on coming back to try and close us down.”

Linda Erskine raised her concerns with Cardenden Community Council who fully supported her stance. Community Council Chairman, Dave Roy, stated: “The bus is a vital asset for the many voluntary groups in our village and the removal of the bus would be a huge loss, the Community Council will fight tooth and nail to keep the bus and I would ask the Chief Executive of Fife Council to re think this plan”.

Linda Erskine has stated to Chief Executive, Steve Grimmond, that she would garner any support from the constituency to fight any move to close the service.

Janice Laird, Service Manager, Community Learning and Development, said: “We are not withdrawing the service but looking to see if there are ways in which the service could be delivered in the most cost effective way. "We are waiting for costings coming back from providers to find the best solution – which may be the current one. We hope to have an option appraisal finished by the end of June and will come back to the Corrie Centre Management Committee before then to discuss the best options for the centre and the service users.”