Scottish Power and Fife Council have created two funding pots to help regenerate the area following the closure of Longannet Power Station and as a result of the ash lagoon incident in 2017.

The 'Forward West Fife' project is being overseen by a steering group, which is made up of representation from the five community councils and the West Fife Villages Forum.

Towards the end of last year, the steering group encouraged local residents of Kincardine, Culross, Low Valleyfield, High Valleyfield, Newmills and Torryburn to share ideas and groups to apply for the funding. A voting event was held recently at High Valleyfield Community Centre to determine the popularity of the ideas with attendees voting for their top five choices.

Scottish Power's £50,000 Energy and Climate Fund will be used to make a range of environmental improvements including: new eco floodlighting for the Valleyfield Community Sports Hub, battery storage for The Stables in Culross, a sustainable garden kitchen for Grow West Fife, solar lighting for Valleyfield Community Club and funds towards a Remembrance Garden organised by the Remembrance Society of High Valleyfield, Low Valleyfield, Torryburn and Newmills.

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A pot of £120k, made up from £100k Scottish Power Legacy Fund and £20k from Fife Council, will allow groups to deliver on 18 different projects. Those which gathered the strongest support at the voting event include: a defibrillator for Low Valleyfield, new containers for community space at Valleyfield Community Sports Hub, funding towards The Stables Courtyard and Bakery, improving disabled access to woodlands and walled garden areas and new benches for High Valleyfield.

Cllr David Barratt, Convener of Fife Council's South and West Fife Area Committee said: "It was great to see a strong turnout at the event where residents could get a real feel for the sorts of projects that had been suggested.

"Overall, these 28 projects are varied in theme and scale, but will undoubtedly all contribute towards changes for the better. They are powered by enthusiastic local people and groups, so I look forward to their ideas becoming a reality for residents to benefit from and enjoy."

Lorne McCulloch, Non-Operations Lead ScottishPower Generation (Assets) said: "At ScottishPower, making a difference for people and communities is at the heart of everything we do. We're proud to see the variety of environmental improvement projects our funding is supporting in West Fife, ensuring a legacy local residents can benefit from."

Ronnie Collins of the West Fife Villages Forum and Forward West Fife Steering Group added: "Communities work best when they work together, and these deserving projects are testament to the good things that can happen when collaborative efforts are made."