GORDON BROWN has been accused of potentially jeopardising sports provision plans for Fife by publicly rejecting the current plans to replace Kirkcaldy Swimming Pool.

Fife Council has earmarked £50 million to replace Kirkcaldy Swimming Pool and the Fife Institute in Glenrothes as well as refurbish Carnegie Leisure Centre in Dunfermline.

But the like-for-like replacement plans, which will see just £6 million spent on the Kirkcaldy pool, have been branded “shortsighted” by the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP.

Mr Brown has backed calls by Kirkcaldy Labour councillors David Ross and Neil Crooks for Fife Council to fund a sports and leisure facility in the town and has started engaging with the private sector and sports groups on how it can be delivered.

Earlier this week Brian Goodall, chairman of the housing and communities committee, accused the Prime Minister of using the issue as a political stunt.

Now, Central Fife MSP Tricia Marwick has also stepped forward to question Mr Brown’s reasons behind his sudden dedication to safeguarding the town’s sports provision.

Mrs Marwick made the point that not so long ago, the former Labour administration planned to close both Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes sports centres and replace them with a single facility to serve both towns and only pledged to improve the region’s sports and leisure facilities before the May elections last year.

She also argued that sports facilities in Fife had suffered years of neglect at the hands of the previous Labour administration.

“While I agree we can never have too many sports facilities, Mr Brown’s plans will not go ahead at the expense of the previously agreed plans.

“I realise Mr Brown is sorely disappointed that the SNP in this area recognised the previous Labour plan to close both facilities in Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes... and took the necessary steps to safeguard them for the future,” she said.

“The SNP/Lib Dem administration has made the policy decision to upgrade the three facilities in Fife, in Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline and Glenrothes.

“The newly-established Sports and Leisure Trust which has been set up to manage the three centres does not have the power to decide what the allocated £50,000 should be spent on as the facilities will remain in the ownership of Fife Council.”

“It would be really helpful if all those with political influence on Mr Brown could now lobby to get back the many millions that he has siphoned off from Scottish Sport to the London Olympic project.

“That would make a considerable difference to community sports facilities in the whole of Fife.”

Mr Brown’s involvement in the issue has also been criticised by Glenrothes Community Action Group, which was set up by concerned residents two years ago to ensure the future of the Fife Institute.

The action group’s spokesman, John Morton, said, “With this latest intervention from the Kirkcaldy MP, the future of the Fife Institute could once again be put in jeopardy.

“Fife Council will be faced with a bill of £50 million for these revamps—an amount that, in the current climate of local revenue freezes, could become a severe financial burden,” Mr Morton added.

“It might, therefore, be tempting to make significant alterations to the current proposals in order to secure a large contribution from the Westminster government,” he said.