WORK to provide pedestrian and cyclist access at three of Fife’s household waste recycling centres is to be carried out – subject to funding being identified.

Councillors on the region’s environment and protective services sub-committee have asked officers to source the £32,000 it will cost to provide access gates, internal walkways and cycle parking at Dalgety Bay, as well as Kirkcaldy and Lochgelly, while detailed design work to provide appropriate safe pedestrian access at sites at St Andrews and Methil will also be progressed.    

The decisions came after the committee received an update on the Kingdom’s household waste recycling centres, where the need to pre-book slots was removed – with the exception of Ladybank – on October 1.

An 80 per cent increase in traffic to the sites was recorded over a 12-week period from October 1 to December 31, but tonnage remained roughly the same, suggesting people are making more frequent visits with smaller volumes of material, rather than waiting until the householder has a full load to be deposited. 

With that in mind, measures to try to cut the number of car journeys to and from the sites are being looked at – such as allowing pedestrian and cyclist access.

Ken Gourlay, head of assets, transportation and environment, said pedestrian and cyclist access was deemed to be possible at Cupar, Dalgety Bay, Kirkcaldy, Lochgelly, Methil and St Andrews, but confirmed that Cupar has since been ruled out due to the small size of the centre.

“The sites at Dalgety Bay, Lochgelly and Kirkcaldy are all accessible via existing pavements and would require internal works, along with the provision of a slip gate, to ensure there is a safe walkway from the entrance to the site round to the containers and back again,” he said.

Mr Gourlay went on to confirm that the remaining sites at Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Ladybank and Pitenweem were all unsuitable for pedestrian access or cyclist access due to their location and layout.