COUNCILLORS are committed to getting the message out to the whole of Scotland and beyond that Lochore Meadows Country Park is a place worth visiting, after hearing that the facility could be a money spinner for the local economy.

Cowdenbeath Area Committee made the pledge after hearing that a leading official of Keep Scotland Beautiful was unaware of the impact the Meadows had as a visitor attraction.

The committee was told by Lead Professional Econonomic Regeneration, Ian McCrory, that the rolling grasslands, oak woodlands and the loch, was a three star visitor attraction which had 600,000 visitors pass through it in 2013 and as work continued to improve the facilities, more and more people could be expected to go to the ‘Meedies’.

Indeed, Mr McCrory said that with a new £1m cycling facility planned on the outskirts of the park, and the RockGelly project to be established in the former St Andrews Church building in Lochgelly, the recipe was there for the Central Fife area to become a magnet for visitors.

But Area Committee vice-chairman, Councillor Peter Lockhart, said, “I was speaking to an official of Keep Scotland Beautiful who did not know about the Meadows.

“It is clear to me that we have to do more to sell this magnificent facility, for there is so much going on to improve the facilities that will be there.” These include the creation of a heritage site at the 900 year-old Lochore Castle, on the road from Crosshill down to the park, which is part of a project by the Living Lomond Landscape Partnership, which has attracted significant funding.

Lochgelly and Cardenden Councillor Mark Hood said, “We need to make the offering right to ensure we can make the most of the attractions that we have and the ones to come.

“The cycling facility, which will be established near Lochgelly High School, will be another key element of the park’s magnificent facilities as it will become a hub for the sport in Scotland so there are a lot of exciting prospects we need to market.” Committee chairman, Councillor Willie Clarke, said that among the plans that are in the pipeline for the park is a camping site which he felt would significantly up the numbers coming to the Meadows.

“The park’s attractions are set to grow and grow and we need to ensure that the whole world knows about what we have here,” he said.

“I fear that the internet has not been properly used to sell our Meedies and that must change as from now on for we have something here which has immense potential to develop the economy of the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area.” The committee backed the belief that more needs to be done to sell the attractions of Lochore Meadows Country Park.