CONGESTION in Hill of Beath could be removed if a proposal from the village's football club is accepted.

And MP Douglas Chapman is supporting Hill of Beath Hawthorn, in their calls to have an area of grass adjacent to their Keirs Park stadium turned into a car park, which could be used by the club on matchdays and avoid congestion in the centre of the village, and provide a much needed parking facility for the nearby school during the week.

The Haws compete in the Scottish Junior Football Association’s East Region Super League and regularly attract crowds of around 250. However, the club have no designated parking area, forcing players, officials and supporters to park on kerbs in an already very congested network of streets.

Club chairman, David Baillie, said: “A new car park for Hill of Beath is long overdue, and this area being looked at is perfectly situated to service both the football club and the local primary school.

"It is quite a big area which we estimate it could hold around 50 cars and would alleviate all the problems created by this situation".

He added: "With no car park allocated to the football club everyone is forced to park on the street, which is far from ideal on a match day, and has raised issues in the past where an ambulance was unable to drive to the door of a resident who had suffered a heart attack because so many cars were parked in the street.

"During the week, because there is no school car park, parents are dropping children off on a very busy main road through Hill of Beath, which every member of the village will know causes chaos for thirty minutes or so at around 9am and 3pm.

"It is good of Douglas Chapman, to help the club highlight this problem. His support is very much appreciated."

The club’s plans have also been supported by David Green, Head teacher at Hill of Beath Primary School, who said: “With the building of the new houses and continued growth of Hill of Beath Primary School, parking will become even more of a problem. A car park shared with the Hawthorn would benefit the community as a whole.”

With support from both the village’s football club and primary school, MP for Crossgates, Hill of Beath and Moss-side, Douglas Chapman is confident a positive outcome can be achieved, stating: “The disused area of grass highlighted by the football club would be the ideal place to build the car park this community so desperately needs.

"I will be writing to Fife Council asking if funds could be made available to redevelop this land or to look into the possibility of the land being handed over to the football club to create the car park themselves.

"Football and young people are at the heart of this proud village, and every effort must be made to build this car park for their well being and for the benefit of the whole community."