VILLAGERS are being asked to get behind the move to see parkland in Crossgates developed to help bring better facilities to the former mining community.

And a public meeting has been organised for Thursday, November 22, at 7pm, in Crossgates Community Centre, to discuss the plans and the opportunity to acquire a 40 year lease for Humbug and Schoolview parks.

The Crossgates Village Parks group's aims are set out in a constitution and these are to encourage public participation in sport; advance education through a learning facility; and advance community development in the area.

All involved are unpaid volunteers and trustees working in their own time.

Said CVP's Paul Laidlaw: "Over 100 years ago, the village had much fewer residents but enjoyed far more facilities including tennis courts, a 9 hole golf course, a small cinema and, weather permitting, a curling rink.

"CVP believes that things can be improved greatly, as other communities of Crossgates' size have more facilities and despite requests these have not been replicated in our community, so CVP like many other community based charities, can attract funding to improve amenities."

Paul added that elsewhere, for example, in Tayport, the community has acted together to form a charity and lease land from Fife Council to use and develop vastly improved local facilities.

He added: "Many consultations have taken place in Crossgates with good feedback on this a number of years ago, but progress has been complex and only now are we in a position where we have the opportunity to acquire the lease and thereby develop our own facilities.

"The lease would cover the entire grass area below Crossgates Primary that boundaries Windmill and South Knowes. The Humbug football ground would also be included. Incremental development of limited facilities, agreed by the community, would be sought by CVP.

"CVP would need to demonstrate it can run itself before securing the same financial opportunities that so many other identical community lease charities have enjoyed."

He added: "There is a current lack of knowledge about the charity and its aims for which we apologise and recognise that we need to do much more to communicate the aims and activities of CVP and that is the reason for the meeting on Thursday evening.

"There is also some mis-information circulating about the facilities and we want to reassure people that no development will take place until CVP has developed a master plan for the area.

"CVP would like to firstly manage expectations that this has been a very long road thus far and assure the community that, like all charities, it will only progress any plans if this is what Crossgates wants. For this reason we would welcome as much feedback as possible on the opportunity we now have to acquire the lease from Fife Council."