A NUMBER of schools in the Dunfermline area may be removed as venues for voters next year.

Kingseat could also have two new polling districts for voting after a review of places to vote by Fife Council.

Recommended changes have been submitted after a public consultation which ended in September.

Among the proposals – which would then be introduced next year – is to replace several schools.

Carnegie Primary School – in the Halbeath South polling district – was used as a replacement for Halbeath Community Leisure Centre for the European Parliamentary Election in May due to building works.

Fife Council intend to return to the centre for voting after works to the building are completed after August 2020.

A move away from St Leonard's Primary School annex is also to be considered but no alternative polling place has currently been suggested for voters in the Pitreavie West district.

Abbeyview Bowling Club has been recommended as an alternative to voters in the Linburn district instead of using Lyburn Primary School.

Our Lady of Lourdes RC Church is a suggestion as a polling venue instead of Canmore Primary School, which is in the Pitreavie East district.

Fife Council has previously undertaken full statutory polling reviews during 2007, 2010 and 2013, as well as an additional one in 2017.

The latest review had 192 responses from consultees, with 34 respondents against schools being used as voting venues.

Morag Ferguson, head of legal and democratic services at Fife Council, said: "In recent years, significant efforts have been made to reduce the reliance on educational establishments used as polling places. This is not always possible, with a lack of suitable alternatives in some areas.

"For polling dates which are known well in advance, the education service now arranges in-service days to coincide.

"It has not been possible to assess all possible alternatives to schools at this stage but I intend to continue to explore alternatives and any suitable premises identified through this exercise will be dealt with under delegated powers in consultation with the local councillors and returning officer."

Among the other proposals are plans to create separate polling districts in Kingseat. A new district has been put forward for part of the village to the north-west of the B912. The area falls within the UK Parliament constituency of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, while the rest is Dunfermline and West Fife.

And another district has been suggested for land to the east of Kingseat – although it contains no electors – which is in the Scottish Parliament Cowdenbeath constituency, rather than in Dunfermline.

In her report's conclusion, Ms Ferguson said: "No significant variation is envisaged to the number of polling places used in Fife (currently 184 in total), and the consultation responses would suggest that, overall, electors and those otherwise involved in elections do not have any major concerns regarding the scheme designating polling places.

"Any changes agreed following publication of the finalised review (and expiry of the appeals period) will be incorporated into a revised register of electors to be published on February 1, 2020 – subject to any subsequent ad hoc issues being addressed if necessary under remit, as proposed."