OUR Jury is looking for the regeneration of Lochgelly to move on at a brisk pace in 2015.

And they want to be in a position to tell the person who nominated town for the Plook of the Plinth award in the Urban Realm magazine’s competition, where to get off their soap box.

The Coffee Mates, who meet at Lochgelly Baptist Church every Friday morning, were most unhappy that the town was even nominated for the award for what is described as Scotland’s most dismal town, which will be awarded early in 2015.

Said one of our jurors, “I doubt that whoever nominated Lochgelly has had a bad day in the town or has fallen out with one of our citizens.

“With all the investment that is going on in the town Lochgelly certainly is not in the bracket they are looking for.” Another said, “There is no a town in the country that does not have areas that look dismal but there is a lot about Lochgelly that looks good.” One of the Coffee Mates added, “We are going to see, in the new year, a lot of money spent in the town on regeneration with a new town square and the Rock Gelly project developing in the former St Andrews Church building.

“This is something which is going to bring people to to the town and give the centre of it a completely new look.” It was also stated that whoever nominated Lochgelly for the Urban Realm magazine’s competition should be invited back to see the town when the work is complete. “It is a gradual process, the regeneration work, but there will be a lot happening this year and it takes time to turn around the look of an old industrial town, but is going to happen and the public will like what they see I am sure,” said a Coffee Mate who was very unhappy at the nomination.

And a colleague went on, “I think it is the third time that Lochgelly has found itself nominated for one of these sort of awards which is totally uncalled for.”