WORK IS to be carried out on a set of “downright dangerous” steps in the Kinghorn area.

Members of Kirkcaldy area committee approved Kinghorn Community Council’s application for £10,000 from the Kinghorn Common Good Fund for work on the steps from Kinghorn Cemetery to Pettycur—a bone of contention among locals for many years.

Most of the money will be spent on realigning natural spring water which has intruded on to the path and steps.

While local councillor George Kay welcomed any funding to solve the problem, he questioned why it had been left to the community council, instead of the council itself, to tackle the situation.

“This first came to my attention about 30 years ago, and I do welcome the fact that there are steps being taken to try to stop this water running down the steps,” he said.

“But if the community council is addressing this problem, it does not have access to resources if something goes wrong here.,” he said.

“Surely this is something that Fife Council should be doing?

“I can appreciate the frustration of the community council on this, but I just worry that this is not the right vehicle for doing it.”

However, the council’s community services department has stressed that it will support the community council’s efforts on the matter.

Councillor Neil Crooks said the council should “tap in” to the local knowledge in the area to address the water problem, and admitted that action had to be taken.

“These steps are downright dangerous and an absolute hazard,” he maintained.

“I walked down there recently and I was surprised it was open, to be honest.

“It was slimy, it was a steep slope, and it was dangerous. It needs to be addressed.”

The money will also be spent on refurbishing the landscape surrounding the public picnic area through replanting, replacing furniture and picnic tables; and the development of a public viewing area across the Forth, complete with an information board highlighting the various points of interest for visitors, tourists and residents of the area.

However most of the money, around £7000, is likely to be spent on tackling the problem of water on the steps.

A spokesman for Kinghorn Community Council said in the application, “The current steps and pathway are of a dangerous nature due to the natural spring running over the pathway.”

Meanwhile, Kinghorn Community Council has also been awarded £600 towards the printing of an informative booklet detailing the area’s paths and walks.

Members hope to produce around 3000 copies of the booklet for circulation in the area.

* Our picture shows the steps.