Cllrpatrickbrowne

16/10/2026

New Caledonia High School – Have had a few snagging issues raised with me about the new high school but by far the biggest issue has been arrangements for dropping off and picking up pupils from the school.
There would have been a planning decision taken when the school was being planned t limit parking provision and segregate vehicles from pupils on foot but in the age of increased car use including by older pupils that has created challenges.
I raised the issue with the school’s head teacher who told me that new transitional arrangements had been put in place last week to try and address those issues with vehicles assigned spaces in the old BAM car park with parents/carers walking their children the rest of the way to the school. Those measures will be reviewed each term.
Hopefully, that has an impact moving forward and eases the pressures but if not then the council alongside the school and other partners will perhaps need to consider further additional measures. It is likely this will take time to settle down but the issue is being reviewed and the priority is the safety of all those accessing the facility – pupils, teachers, parents and carers and the wider community.

15/10/2026

Railway Path - As part of the planning consent for the CALA development in Easter Aberdour there was Section 75 funding agreed to allow the upgrading of the path along the railway line to allow school children to walk to the primary school. In August 2024, the council resurfaced the path, but officers didn't complete the project by installing planned lighting along the route.
Fast forward 26 months and officers think they have identified a lighting solution which Network Rail have used in similar locations. It relies on NR installing fence lights and power supply and assuming maintenance responsibilities, but the funding is in place to make that happen.
Hopefully light at the end of path! But sorry that the lighting issues weren’t dealt with at the time. The next challenge will be formalising the access of the railway bridge from the CALA development to the path but one hurdle at a time!

12/10/2026

Public Realm Works - Restarting 19 October - Busy week last week so this may already be out there but councillors got confirmation last Friday afternoon that Inverkeithing's streetscape works will be resuming at the start of next week, including finishing works on the Mercat Cross.

FC update: "The replacement slabs for the Mercat Cross are anticipated to be ready within the next two weeks. In addition, the thermal treatment works to the asphalt footways are programmed to commence on 2nd November, with the full reconstruction patching works to follow thereafter. Consultation with businesses and residents will commence next week, with an information letter being issued in advance of the works."

Like everyone I would really like to see this project finished so that Inverkeithing can benefit from the fully completed £4.7 million investment in the burgh. Just in time for Christmas?

07/10/2026

Bollards! - In April 2024 I was attending a public meeting at the Aberdour community centre along with dozens of residents when someone fell badly outside after encountering one of the bollards at the entrance into the centre.
The resident was injured and very properly made a complaint to the council about the lack of visibility of the build-out. They asked that the islands be made more visible.
Nearly two and a half years later I got an email yesterday saying the works had been completed.
Sorry to the resident who was injured. Sorry it took so long to get the issue fixed (locals took it upon themselves to paint the base white at one point).
But hopefully no-one else should collide with the bollard bases moving forward.
As a result of the 2024 incident the service did tighten up procedures in responding to accidents at the centre, but the reflective bollards took a little longer - 30 months.
Thanks to officers for sorting the issue which cleanly got "lost" but is now fixed.

28/09/2026

Public Realm Works - End in Sight? – Loathe to mention this but eventually something relating to the completion of the streetscape works in Inverkeithing will have to come true. But as always on this project please treat what I am about to share with a degree of caution. I asked officers for an update on when they expected the remining public realm works, the works around the Mercat Cross to be completed, I got the response:
The contractor is “… programmed to return to site on 12th October to carry out the footway remedials, install the bin store opposite the Civic Centre and complete the enhanced setting around the Mercat Cross. I am due to meet with the contractor [this] week and will provide a detailed update following that meeting, once we have discussed the remaining works and agreed the programme for completion.”
So hopefully a site meeting this week and hopefully a start date soon, although I believe the 12 October may have been agreed to some time ago and may now be subject to delay. But we may be getting near the end of the streetscape works? As said already, the delivery of this project hasn’t been good enough, but my focus is on getting it finished! And sorry again for the delays which go back beyond my time as a councillor.

27/09/2026

Was asked to share this by the group. Help for Heroes: Community Corner is a monthly drop-in space where members of the Armed Forces community can meet their neighbours, meet our team, and feel a bit less alone. It's open to all Armed Forces Community members, and everyone is welcome.

27/09/2026

NHS Fife Staff Awards - Was delighted to be invited to the Awards on Friday evening. Great to meet the finalists and award winners and their family members who support them in the work that they do. Everyone nominated is a Winner! Keep up the great work.

24/09/2026

The Compass Transfer Time - There have been a few messages about the imminent closure of The Compass. Have been asked a few times (given my role as a member of the Fife Licensing Board) what is happening with the premises moving forward.
Checked with council officers today and was told: "We have had a transfer application in for the above premises, which is currently being processed."
So, looks like a new interested party is trying to keep the Compass' alcohol licence in place which may be just to continue to allow them to market the pub as a going concern or that plans are more advanced to reopen it. I have no more information so time will tell.

16/09/2026

UPDATE - Inverkeithing Town House - I posted a month ago about arrangements being looked at to finish the outstanding building works at the Town House. I got a further update from officers last evening confirming that Fife Council;' Building Services team will now move to complete the outstanding works from next week. So hopefully we are getting to the end of the Town House project and its opening. To repeat, it was a private contractor who did the works to this point and FC is now stepping in to complete the project.

Response from officers: "Following the site visit, FC Building Services submitted a proposal yesterday and are now being engaged to complete the remaining works [both building warrant related and minor snagging items]. We anticipate on-site work beginning next week. Elsewhere, the interpretation work, focussed on the Burgh Chamber Room, is now complete."

13/09/2026

Silver Sands – Great to see the formal end to this upgrade project that will make a massive difference moving forward.
I remember turning up at Aberdour Community Council regularly two/three years ago when there were forceful justified complaints about a range of management issues relating to Silver Sands. The investment kick started by Fife Council in allocating place-based funding and UK government funding opened the door to VisitScotland funding which delivered the project less than two years which is pretty much unheard of for a project from a standing start.
Great job by the contractors who did the work but also to the Fife Council and FFCT staff who saw the opportunity and moved fast.
One issue is outstanding and that is whether a discreet CCTV system would help better manage the area when there are visitors and if this could be extended to Black Sands. It wasn’t possible in the main project, but I have been working on that with council officers and hopefully we can take steps to assess the benefits and feasibility of some sort of CCTV system.

Visitors to Aberdour's Silver Sands can now enjoy improved facilities and easier access to the beach following a £1.3 million upgrade.