A CALL to suspend the building of a cycle track at Glencraig will be made at a meeting of the new Fife Council tomorrow.

Conservative councillor Dave Dempsey wants the project, a first for Scotland, halted until a re-examination of the funding and clarification on who will benefit.

The proposals for the track between Lochgelly and Glencraig have planning permission but some locals have slammed the spiralling costs, which they say have shot up from £1.6 million to an estimated £2.46m.

The Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay councillor, backed by fellow Conservative councillor Linda Holt, believes the new council administration should re-visit the plans – but their objections were shot down as “absolutely ridiculous”.

Cllr Dempsey said: “Some of the people living nearby are concerned about the way the project has grown in particular and the things that have changed as it has progressed.

"It is not clear that it is really for the benefit of the local population so much and to what extent it is for the area and what extent it is for elite cyclists.”

Cllr Holt, elected last month to represent the East Neuk and Landward ward, said: “The cycle track plans have been developed in isolation from the community and they are upset because so much money is available for this, but they couldn’t have a visitors centre at the Meedies. 

“I know there is an assumption that any money spent on a community is good, however you have to look at the return and there have not been enough adequate discussions about this.

"The people who live around the track, their concerns have been ignored and people should not be treated like that.”

Local campaigner James Glen said: “Consultation events were poorly advertised and attendance very sparse. Local support for the project has been non-existent.

"The planning application only attracted objections. Residents in Lochgelly and Benarty remain unconvinced about the economic benefits of the development for their towns. 

“They are also angry that Fife Council is happily covering out-of-control costs of millions when it claimed to have no money to build a fit-for-purpose visitor centre next door at the Meedies, a proven attraction for over a million visitors a year.”

Cllr David Ross, co-leader of Fife Council, hit back: “These criticisms are ill informed and Dave Dempsey is having the wool pulled over his eyes.

"I believe they are instigated by a small number of individuals with an axe to grind and are completely unfounded.

"A huge amount of public consultation has been undertaken in regard to the project and it has significant support across Fife and beyond.  

"I note that only seven objections were submitted to the planning application for the track.”

Cllr Ross said the track was of local and national significance, and was developed with partners including Sportscotland, Scottish Cycling, British Triathlon and British Cycling.

The original £1.5m cost, he added, was an estimate to start the process.  
“As this is the first of its kind in Scotland there was nothing to compare costs with and the costs for such projects can vary considerably,” he explained. 

“These additional costs for the project were included in the council’s capital programme which was approved in February this year.  

"The project has been under development since 2013. It’s absolutely ridiculous that these objections are now being raised.  

“The project is now at an advanced stage and the contract has been let. The cost for cancelling the project would be around £1.3m.”