A RECOMMENDATION by the Boundary Commission to dump Cardenden out of the Cowdenbeath Area Committee’s jurisdiction has been slammed by local councillor Ian Chisholm and community leader Alex Burns.

Colin Wilson, Casework Manager, of the Scottish Boundary Commissions’ Secretariat, told the SNP member for the current Lochgelly and Cardenden seat, that the the existing Lochgelly and Cardenden ward would be divided to create a Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly ward; and a Glenrothes West, Cardenden and Kinglassie ward.

He said, “We are proposing four councillors for each of these wards. The proposed Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly ward will be within the Cowdenbeath Scottish Parliament constituency and the proposed Glenrothes West, Cardenden and Kinglassie ward will overlap the Cowdenbeath and Mid Fife and Glenrothes Scottish Parliament constituencies.

“If the proposals are agreed they will be in place for the 2017 local government elections”.

Councillor Chisholm was very unhappy at the proposal and described the move as something which would end a ‘successful partnership’.

“I am furious at the proposals by the Local Government Boundaries Commission to dismember the existing Lochgelly and Cardenden Ward 9 which, has been a successful partnership since 2007,” he said. “I cannot understand why if the conjoining of Cardenden and Kinglassie prior to 2007 was a bad thing why on earth is it a good thing now to revert back to that. “It seems to me a bit of bureaucratic shuffling simply for the sake of it.

“The proposal put forward to Fife Council to comment on, is for Cardenden to be joined with Kinglassie and a chunk of Glenrothes and make a giant Ward of some 16,000 voters, but worse than that is the huge geographic area with not a lot in common”. He added, “The two old mining villages of Cardenden and Kinglassie deserve a bit more respect. As it stands the new wards will have four councillors each rather than the three at present. “I also regret the proposal would have Cardenden outwith the Scottish Parliamentary Boundary of Cowdenbeath. If changes have to be forced on our villages then there is some logic in incorporating Lochgelly and Lumphinans into the Cowdenbeath ward, but I shall be voicing my opposition to the proposal, especially for a mega ward of Cardenden, Kinglassie and Glenrothes West and proposing that Lochgelly, Cardenden and Kinglassie be one ward, thus preserving the tradition of these three ancient mining communities.” He concluded, “These are two of the stated aims of the Local Government Boundary Commission, ‘the desirability of fixing boundaries that are easily identifiable’ and ‘local ties would be broken by making a particular boundary,’ I hope to get local support, in order that our elected councillors can resist the domination of the ‘big toons.’ The chairman of Cardenden Community Council, Alex Burns, was also opposed to the plan, “I would totally oppose this recommendation.

“I also feel that this proposal would separate us from communities near us with a mining background and who have been our neighbours for decades.

“We will be considering this issue at a meeting soon and I am sure that there will be strong opposition.”