If you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to be prepared to walk the walk.
So here’s hoping there’s plenty of substance behind the blue sky thinking revealed earlier this week for the future of south west Dunfermline – and that’s it’s not merely pie in the sky.
In case you missed it, Stirling Developments has applied for planning permission in principle for a minimum of 2,150 new homes at Broomhall as part of a wider scheme which would also create employment land within the development.
That could bring 7,150 jobs to Fife over the next three decades, and not only strengthen the area’s appeal as a prime location for commuters to Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee but also enhance it in its own right as a focus for employment.
All of this is great news on the face of it and, done right, will be welcomed by most.
Sadly though, it’s not the first time we’ve written about ambitious plans with all the excitement of a child on Christmas morning, only to find out further down the road that – for whatever reason – they either don’t come to fruition or end up being a pale shadow of what was initially promised.
A quick survey around the office came up with plenty to fit that particular bill.
Kingdom Park in Kirkcaldy, John Smith Business Park, Cupar North, Rosyth waterfront, Madras College (dare I say it?), the hovercraft, the spaceport at Leuchars, the former Kirkcaldy swimming pool site….
All of these have been among the plethora of plans held up as potential community saviours, only to fall flat because of one thing or another.
Don’t get me wrong, some of these things might still happen or might yet go on to flourish in the coming years, but my point is that there is little benefit in getting people hyped up without good reason.
One might argue that we, the media, have a role to play in calming expectations, but we simply report the news.
If a planning application is lodged or a statement is made about a local issue of importance, we report it in as balanced a way as possible.
So with that in mind, we’ve all got our fingers crossed that what’s planned for Dunfermline does exactly what it says on the tin.
