A “hidden gem” of Kirkcaldy is to get a massive makeover, opening up a link between town and hospital.
Denfield Park lies close to the town centre but few people know of the park, it is not accessible, and it does not have a postcode.
It is so well hidden that last year – despite lying virtually in the shadow of the Victoria Hospital – an ambulance rushing to the aid of an injured footballer took more than an hour to find it.
Now, the area will be opened up, to provide a safe walking and cycling corridor.
The idea to improve the park was first raised during a charrette of the Victoria Road area in 2014.
Last year a green infrastructure masterplan built on the vision set out in the community consultation exercise, to improve the park and connections to the Kirkcaldy coastline.
Despite the hospital lying at the northern edge of the park there is no access or physical link between them.
There is only one entrance, and that is even difficult to locate through a car park, so people cannot use it as a through route, nor can patients access it for fresh air.
SUSTRANS has approved design fees of £60,000 to upgrade routes to the hospital.
Kirkcaldy area committee has agreed an additional £45,000 contribution.
Labour councillor Alistair Cameron said: “The park is like a hidden gem in the centre of Kirkcaldy.
“But last year a footballer broke his leg – it was a freak accident – and the ambulance could not find its way in.
“It was just really unfortunate because when you are in Denfield you can see the hospital just across the field but it doesn’t have a postcode.”
He said often ambulance crews were not local and relied on postcodes for guidance.
“That just really highlighted the problem.”
With the Victoria Hospital on one side and Victoria Road on the other – and nothing to join them up – he said there was a fantastic potential there.
“No one really uses it apart from two football teams and dog walkers but the potential is there for another really good park in Kirkcaldy.
“And I am sure the hospital itself wants a connection opened up through the park, it could be used for health and wellbeing. It has great potential for a relatively small amount of money.”
SNP councillor Lesley Backhouse, looking to the success of the Fife coastal path, agreed it would be good to connect this area.
“I’m very much in favour of this – just now there’s a dead end.”
Kirkcaldy convener, Labour’s Neil Crooks, added: “I think this is an opportunity.
“It is going to piggyback on the back of £60,000 of SUSTRANS funding.”
