FIFE Council has successfully led a bid to transport charity Sustrans for £680,000 of ‘Community Links’ funding to help deliver a major town centre project in Cowdenbeath Town Centre.

The overall project will result in nearly £1.2 million of investment in Cowdenbeath’s town centre.

Sustrans Scotland is delighted to announce that they will be directing funding into this project in Cowdenbeath.

Having received a record number of applications to the Community Links Programme and had to carefully select those of the highest quality to fund

The project in Cowdenbeath, which Fife Council have been working in partnership with Sustrans over the last year to finalise designs as well as engaging throughout the project with the community of Cowdenbeath. Funding from the charity’s ‘Community Links Programme’ will be used to make a number of changes in the area. 

It will see a major transformation to Cowdenbeath Town Centre replacing tired and worn paving and using high quality materials to highlight key areas within the town such as Brunton Square and the Town Centre greenspace.

Brunton Square will be transformed into a heritage garden which will reflect the rich mining history of the area. New improved seating will be installed and attractive new raised planting. The mining heritage will be reflected in a number of new features in the square including a mural, information boards and a fence depicting mining scenes

Work will be done in the greenspace in the centre of the town to turn it into a more formal town square which has been a long term desire in the town. The development of the Town Square will provide a focal point for the community creating more reason for people to cycle/walk into the Town Centre and encourage regular and frequent events as well as creating safe space for family friendly and intergenerational activity to take place. It is hoped that it could become a site for regular events and activity bringing more people into the town centre and helping to support local businesses

Links into the town centre will be improved for both pedestrians and cyclists widening pavements and making specific cycling routes along Pit Road linking with cycling and walking paths coming down form the Fish Tail. Hall Street will be closed off from the High Street allowing access to residents only with paving and road surfacing to help make the links into the town centre from the leisure centre more attractive and encourage people using the centre to walk into the town centre.  

Humza Yousaf MSP, Minister for Transport and the Islands, said: “The Scottish Government is committed to increasing active travel rates.

Since 2010, more than £100m has been invested in the Community Links programme providing grant funding for over 700 cycling and walking projects.

“The applications demonstrate real innovation and enthusiasm to deliver improved and innovative environments for walking and cycling to take place in Scotland.”

Daisy Narayanan, Deputy Director, Built Environment at Sustrans Scotland said: “The high quality of the applications to our Community Links programme, demonstrates the continued commitment from current and new partners to creating safe and accessible walking and cycling routes across the country.

“We have worked hard to carefully select those of the highest quality to fund and we look forward to working with all our partners to ensure the successful delivery of their projects.” 

With this funding and the Sustrans are committed to ensuring that people across Scotland are better connected by safe and accessible walking and cycling facilities. 

This project on Cowdenbeath High Street will provide both those who live in and visit Cowdenbeath with excellent facilities to travel actively.  We look forward to working with Fife Council in order to ensure its successful delivery. 

This project will make a more distinctive and integrated town centre; make better connections between the places where people want to go by promoting the primacy of pedestrians and cyclists on and around the High Street; make attractive places for staying with increased seating and shelter; support activity into the evening through lighting improvements and by holding family friendly events; creating a greener and more sustainable Town Centre through tree planting and the use of more robust and sustainable materials.