Public urged to back last-ditch Rosyth Waterfont plans

Ally McRoberts • Published 1 Apr 2010 06:50 20 Comments

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THE group behind a £500 million proposal for Rosyth Waterfront, which they say will create 3500 jobs, have called on politicians and the public to back their plans.

In a last ditch attempt to sway opinion, the Scarborough Muir Group (SMG) will hold public exhibitions in the town to detail their vision for the 200 acres of land they own.

They want the site, which includes derelict and contaminated industrial land, to be used for offices, hotels, leisure, business, fast food chains, retail and a community woodland.

The proposal also includes reinstating public access to the waterfront area.

However, last year Fife Council's planning committee refused the group's request to re-zone the land for 'mixed use' and stated that it must be for 'port and industrial use only'.

Councillors were concerned that a change would jeopardise the development of Rosyth as an international port.

And the clock is ticking until 19th April, when consultation on the Draft Dunfermline and West Fife Local Plan will end.

The local plan will map out where development should take place in the area over the next decade and SMG need it to be changed to incorporate their proposal.

Spokesman Ronnie Muir said, "We seek to create a vibrant gateway and waterfront development attracting many new businesses into Rosyth and it is important the local plan has the flexibility within its policies to allow these uses to locate here, bringing much-needed jobs for the area.

"Through the consultation process, we seek public and political support to help ensure the final local plan would allow our proposals to come forward and give SMG and incoming businesses the planning comfort they require in order to invest in Rosyth.

"Having already created some 2500 jobs due to the £50million invested to date at Rosyth Europarc, works have continued throughout the recession with the removal of the Tank Farm, demolition of the concrete bunker and decontamination of the site in order to create land fit for development in readiness for this exciting waterfront.

"Much work still requires to be done to complete the environmental clean-up and this requires ongoing investment by SMG to continue."

The group said it recognised the importance of the Port of Rosyth and the "allocation of the entire waterfront in the Fife Structure Plan as an international port, transport hub and as an economic growth area".

But they also added that the "vast scale of the area" meant there was "more than enough land" to satisfy all parties.

The public exhibition will be held in Rosyth Parish Church hall on Friday 9th April, from 2 to 8pm, and on Saturday 10th April, from 10am to 4pm.

It will then move to the SMG marketing suite at Rosyth Waterfront on Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th April from 10am to 4pm.

A leaflet with a response card is also being delivered to all households in Rosyth and a survey is available at www.smgrosythwaterfront.com.

Mr Muir added, "Verbal support is great but in this instance we really need locals to register it with the council - are they in favour of our SMG revised masterplan?

"We have until 19th April."

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

Mr Bill
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Apr 1, 10:02
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I'm confused. Is it Port of Edinburgh or Port of Rosyth. If it creates revenue, it is Port of Edinburgh. If it is still in developement stage, then it is Port of Rosyth.

I'm all for mixed uses for waterside real estate. Hotels, restaurants and port facilities would be an economic boon for Rosyth.

Go for it.

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Pixie
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Apr 1, 10:10
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It is just typical of Fife council to reject the redevelopment of industrial waste ground but insist on giving planning for mixed use to a green field site to the north of Dunfermline. If they cant get industries into the existing industrial sites why create more. Why destroy green field areas when there are so many empty brown field sites?

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Ann
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Apr 1, 13:49
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There is so much focus on Forth Bridge being a tourist attraction.

Please encourage Fife Council to open their eyes and allow this adjacent area to be developed as an attractive gateway to Fife and beyond, whilst providing much needed long-term employment.

Perhaps 'a hidden gem' that Fife could truly celebrate in 2010 and in future.

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Tom
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Apr 2, 07:45
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It's typical of Fife Council to throttle our development. You don't see Glasgow or Edinburgh holding back on this kind of improvement so you can only assume this is political to keep Fife from being all it can be. This development would be absolutely fantastic for Rosyth and the whole of the region. Maybe the Dunfermline Press can print a petition for us all to sign and send in?

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Rosyth resident
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Apr 2, 16:21
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Having previously written comments re earlier articles on this subject, I am pleased to see others who are in agreement too.

This ground was previously used by the MOD, so as such has never been used as a port facility.

A development, such as the one proposed by SMG would do much to enhance the local area and give a wider chance of employment than if it was made to be for port use only.

Take Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth, this has been built on land previously owned by the MOD and has been changed into something that is helping to improve the Portsmouth area.

Why can't we have something similar in Fife?

Why can't Fife have something that Fifers can be proud of and draw visitors in to from all over the country?

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Robert
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Apr 4, 15:30
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Possible gem but let's hope if approved it's not "iconic" like the mess that is the Leith/Granton waterfront.

The main problem is that this is not a traditional waterfront. It's not particularly easy to get to and there's very little there. It would be a good location for a hotel if there was a link to Inverkeithing for tourists wishing to visit Dunfermline, St Andrews and Edinburgh.

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davey boy
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Apr 5, 09:00
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WELL HERE IS EVERYBODYS CHANCE TO SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION TO FORCE THE FIFE COUNCIL INTO AGREEING TO LETTING THE WATERFRONT BUILD GO AHEAD

DAVEY BOY SIGNS

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gordon kenny
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Apr 5, 13:31
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fife council thanks for going against capitalist muir.bars, fast food what a laugh.money for muir for destroying coastline

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davey boy
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Apr 6, 08:49
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re-capitalist muir ?

if this brings prosperity to rosyth and creates employment then so be it.

the state of rosyth at present is like going back in time it urgently needs modernisation and i see this as an ideal start and once other companys see the work done then it might encourage more to invest and make rosyth fit to live in.

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gordon
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Apr 6, 14:38
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I said capitalist muir.I am born and bred in rosyth, do not know about you.rosyth was good.people were moaning about dockyard shutting,and it will be ghost town, we survived.ah yes going back in time, dollytown people did not have much,we survived.too many people driven by greed.£$

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R.R.R
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Apr 6, 15:19
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Rosyth has got nothing going for it now, fife as whole hasn't got much going for it either.In fact a large proportion of the the kingdom could be described as a bit of a hole!

"they" want to have the waste ground redeveloped for port/industrial use only - whyrnHaven't they seen the amount of businesses that have failed recently in Fife, there isn't much industry left here. There are a lot of industrial and business premises empty in Fife, why not try and attract businesses to those first, before contemplating building more white elephants - take the semiconductor plant that was supposedly meant to have been occupied by various companies!!!!!

A waterfront development would not destroy the coastline but a lack of forward thinking will do nothing to enhance the area.

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davey boy
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Apr 7, 07:30
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re-born and bred in rosyth

i dont see whether you lived there for 1 year or all your life , you pay your taxes i.e. council taxes etc and you live in your own midden.

i1m only saying that the fife council has a great chance of face changing rosyth to the better for locals ,visitors, and employers.

The dodckyard is only being used as a refit /assembly for small contracts i.e. look at devenport and other english ports and see their order books.

If given the chance then rosyth can be turned into a ideal place to live in again,new investment a regular ferry port can be used as a gateway to visitors and workers and investors.

I plead with fife council to re think and look at the bigger picture here with the new bridge etc it can be a brilliant time ahead not only for rosyth but for the whole east of scotland.

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gordon
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Apr 7, 09:59
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response to midden.

you are not getting my point,more bars take_aways,casinos.enough bars around, look how many are shut.why not do something for children,think about them,not much for them to do,could have some sort of funland, or whatever.good old fife council

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Maxine
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Apr 7, 15:11
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Gordon, I think we could do with a few more bars to service the Rosyth area. Cleo's is shut for NEVER paying their electricity bill, The Goth is a dump full of people who start drinking the moment they wake up, The Gladyer Inn is one of the most unfriendly places that I have ever been in and the Yard isnt much better. CJ's is about the only place for us younger drinkers to go but I still would rather go to Dunfermline. So yes I think Rosyth could do with a few more "classy" places to call their local.

I just hope that they put some kind of cover over the sewageworks first because its honking!

Just go online and take a look at how well other similar projects have done. The Forth Bridge is such an iconic landmark and when I used to work in a local hotel beside it, tourists would use the bridge as a photo opportunity so why not cash in on Tourism and give the area some well needed jobs too!

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davey boy
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Apr 8, 08:56
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i see from this weeks letters that the funding for the carnegie museum is still on the agenda.

If the council monies were allocated on a % usuage then surely the museum would come a far second or none at all to the waterfont plan in rosyth.

mind u would be killing 2 birds with 1 stone if the council voted for the waterfront thereby allowing greater visitors vis ferries etc to visit andrew carnegies museum.

In this day and age museums are generally becoming ignored by the young as primarily these establishments are very austere and unfriendly and not up to date items on show. kids and people nowadays look to the future not the past--move on fife council and vote to allow the waterfront to be given green light now.

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gordon
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Apr 8, 12:43
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maxine- top marks to you about you,re views on rosyth bars.If rosyth had no bars, that would not bother me at all. I drink outside rosyth, because I have made some new friends from different areas. classy bars, classy prices,hopefully better people.

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Maxine
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Apr 8, 15:03
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That's the reason I drink in Dunfermline. I live in Rosyth but would like a local to go to. I'm not snobby but some, if not all of the bars in Rosyth are grotty and full of alkies, people looking for fights or just plain wierdos. I know Rosyth isnt one of the prettiest places in Fife but the pubs and some of the locals just drag the place down!

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Julie C
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Apr 8, 15:06
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I have to agree with Maxine's comments about more bars, classier place etc

I live in Rosyth and to be frank it's a s***hole.

I think anything to improve the area, employment etc cannot be a bad thing

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Andy
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Apr 11, 08:55
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Gordon

As the only person with negitive comments towards this proposal, you sound like an ex employee of the Muir Group using this thread as means to vent some displeasure/vengance?

If you are seeking better people than the people of Rosyth would it not be better for the good people of Rosyth if you were to go and live nearer your new found friends?

Fife Council really need to wake up and smell the coffee!! This development can only be a good thing for both Rosyth and Fife.

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******
Apr 25, 21:04
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lev
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May 13, 16:10
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andy or mandy.you have big mouth, and hide behind a computer. that is how brave you are.A coward like you has no friends,who thinks he is some demigod.hope to meet you.

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