WORK is continuing with the owners of the St Ninian’s Opencast site in Kelty so that a leisure future can be found for the facility.

The fact that a land art land project would be created at the former opencast mining site appear to have been forgotten, says Kelty Community Council.

Previously described as “one of the most exciting public art projects Scotland has ever seen”, the project was set to transform an ugly hole in the ground next to the M90 at Kelty. The multi-million pound restoration plans centred on turning the area into a major tourist attraction which would bring visitors and money into the village.

World renowned American architect Charles Jencks designed the Fife Earth Project and work started but it was left unfinished when Scottish Coal went bust in 2013. Kelty Community Council’s planning convener, Gary Hutchison, expressed concern that the site would not be restored for the benefit of local residents.

After submitting a freedom of information request to Fife Council in an attempt to find out more, he fears they will be left disappointed. “Hargreaves on numerous occasions presented to Kelty Community Council that at a minimum the site would be restored to a level that it could be accessible to the general public,” he explained, “Whilst during a visit on-site, the Community Council were shown where roads and car-parks would be for public access. The idea was that this site could be used for recreational use whilst Hargreaves found investors to develop the site.

However this has dragged on for a few years now.”

“It is disappointing to say the the least that after years of putting up with an eyesore of opencast mining and the heavy traffic it brought, there is going to be no benefit to local communities.

“Promises were made by Fife Council and Hargreaves which are being forgotten and we are not even going to have a site for recreation.”

Hargreaves’ property director, Iain Slater, said they still planned to allow community access on the site in the future.

“There had been interest in the site from a film studio, however, that fell through around six months ago,” he explained.

“We have been working very hard with Fife because we have put the site up for a leisure opportunity – we have been working to promote the site and will be looking to do more in September.

“We have the master plan and are trying to follow that but it will take a bit of time. There are cycle paths and some car parks but it is a health and safety thing that the mine needs time to settle down before we can let people in.”

Mary Stewart, Fife Council Service Manager - Major Business & Customer Service, said the council have never owned the site nor did they ever have the intention to acquire the site from either Scottish Coal or Hargreaves to run it as a public park.

“The Fife Earth Project was linked to the previous owners of the mine, Scottish Coal, and unfortunately it was not possible to progress with the original restoration scheme designed by Charles Jencks,” she explained.

“The site has now been fully restored with the exception of a small amount of tree planting works. These have been held in abeyance whilst work continues with Hargreaves – as the owner of the site – to secure a use for the site which is in line with the original vision providing a leisure and recreation resource.”