LOCHS councillor Mary Lockhart has called for a structured way ahead for Lochore Meadows Country Park after the difficult days that have gone by over the past few months.

The Fife Council Executive Committee took the decision last Tuesday to go ahead with building a new visitors centre for the park.

Mary Lockhart was elected in August to replace the retiring Willie Clarke and the Ballingry woman has always had a close interest in the park.

She admitted this week that she has had a lot of concerns about how the park story has been developing, and she feels that it is important that the future is much more structured.

Councillor Lockhart said: "As a local member I had sympathy with the Benarty community over the discussions that have gone on over the past few months.

"In many ways what has been taking place has been a result of no strong way ahead being mapped out for the park.

"There was a development plan for Lochore Meadows put together more than a decade ago but it has never really been closely followed and it is now out of date."

Ms Lockhart added: "The plan was of pre-financial crash vintage and much has changed since then.

"I think that at the end of the day the decision to go ahead with the planned visitor centre was the right thing to do with the timescales involved and the key element of it is that the modular building is easy to extend.

"There is much to consider though as we head to 2020 and how the facilities at Lochore Meadows can be enhanced in the coming years.

"We need a new park plan put together in the coming months so that we are in a position to ensure that the park remains as one of the leading visitor attractions in Scotland and indeed can more forward to become even more popular.

"It should always be remembered that the park is not just one of Fife's big attractions it is one of Scotland's also."

She concluded: "What we have is a magnificent facility but it can be even better and while the new visitor centre is a start there are many more things that can be done to make it one of the best in the UK."