A DUNFERMLINE councillor denied there was a “conflict of interest” over fresh plans to change high school catchment areas.

Parents from Rosyth are furious over the decision to start consulting on proposals that would see Kings Road and Camdean primary children go to Inverkeithing and Masterton Primary pupils go to Dunfermline High.

Education committee convener, Dunfermline South councillor Fay Sinclair, said the decision was taken forward by all 18 members. She said: “There seems to be a false impression that I have some sort of vested interest. I’d like to make clear I have no personal investment in any particular outcome – my children are not at Masterton as has been suggested – and there is no conflict of interest.”

Sending Kings Road kids to Inverkeithing was previously ruled out and Fife Council planned to send Masterton pupils there instead. But that option was rejected by councillors in October and Rosyth pupils going to Inverkeithing is back on the table.

The u-turn, part of plans to deal with Woodmill’s capacity problems, have caused anger with Rosyth parents arguing their children are losing out to Dunfermline Eastern Expansion families.

Parent Kat Cook said: “It is absolutely disgraceful. It is not fair. Kings Road – and Camdean as well – have been completely forgotten about. It is so unfair the way it was planned.

“Our children are losing out. I went to Dunfermline High – generations and generations went to Dunfermline High from Rosyth schools. Now our children have been forgotten about and pushed out because children from a new school need a high school. Why should our children be put out to make way for a new community?

“We went to the meetings and were made to feel like our thoughts mattered and would be taken into consideration. It really angers a lot of people in Rosyth.”

Fellow Kings Road parent Billy Pollock, a former councillor, said: “It is like a never ending thing until the chair of the eduction committee actually gets what she wants. How can the preferred option, which has previously been dismissed, now be the preferred option?

“What has been the big fundamental change because it was not a viable option but now they are saying it is? I know the families feel as if they are getting treated like second class citizens and getting pushed out to make way for a more affluent community.

“This is the third time this paper has come up. I have no doubt if officers had come back with Masterton not going to Dunfermline, it would have been thrown out again. Officers are put in a position they do not want to be in. They felt that the educational interests of the children were best with the original option.”

Responding to the criticism, Cllr Sinclair said: “While I chair the meetings, my vote is just one of 18 on the committee. The decision to take the proposals to statutory consultation was unanimous, backed by councillors from across Fife, representing every political party.

“I hope parents will engage constructively with the consultation process so that we can make the best decision for young people in West Fife.”