Local people are being invited to take part in a community mapping exercise to help protect land and spaces which are important to them.

My Cowdenbeath are developing a Local Place Plan (LPP) for Cowdenbeath, which will also include the villages of Lumphinnans and Hill of Beath.

Residents can attend drop-in events at the Maxwell Centre to help identify the places which should be protected, such as play parks, green spaces and woodlands, and to suggest where new developments might go in the future. 

There are two mapping events being held on the following dates:

Wednesday, November 15, from 4pm to 7pm.

Saturday, November 18. from 12pm to 3pm.

Stuart Duffy, director of My Cowdenbeath, said: "Developing a Local Place Plan is a good opportunity for people to say what they'd like to see in their local area and how land should be developed. It might be about protecting a playpark for local kids, or a woodland walk which people really appreciate.

"It also extends to look at what could be permitted with certain areas of vacant land - where would new houses be built, or expansion of industrial land."

A Local Place Plan is a form of community consultation developed by the Scottish Government that is being implemented by all local councils in Scotland. In Fife, LLPs are to be agreed by the end of January 2024. 

Stuart added: "There is a set procedure for us to develop an LPP for Cowdenbeath, so this mapping exercise, along with the input from the recent resident survey, will help us to produce a Draft Plan, which then goes out to public consultation for 28 days, with a period for local people to have another say.

"The final plan needs to be with Fife Council by the end of January 2024, so it's important to have your say early on!"