'SHOW us the money' and let Dunfermline build a brand new leisure centre fit for Scotland's newest city.

That's the plea of Councillor Gavin Ellis who identified cost as one of the major obstacles to getting what the people want.

He's asked Fife Council for a feasibility study but knows that, while a new leisure centre would be a populist move, they'll need help to make it happen.

READ MORE: New leisure centre at school sites in Dunfermline would be first class

Cllr Ellis said: "There is the financial side of it as Fife Council can't do it all on their own.

"But there's GB Sports, Sportscotland, the national lottery, funders they can pull money in from and that's something else the officers need to look at.

"We should be lobbying ministers at Westminster, Holyrood, both the UK and Scottish governments keep banging on about the importance of sport and wellbeing, so show us the money!"

SNP councillor David Barratt previously suggested that, when Inverkeithing High closes in the summer of 2026, housing on part of the school site could 'cross-subsidise' the retention of The Wing, which has a pool, and development of sports facilities on the rest of the site.

Asked if that could work for the St Columba's and Woodmill sites, when they become vacant in August next year, party colleague Derek Glen said: "That sounds like a promising model to secure some of the funding.

"And there are some good examples of mixed use such as the new learning campus itself or the primary school and health centre on the same site in Oakley.

"If there is a way of part-funding it by integrating it with appropriate housing, then that could really help."

The council may have other plans for the school sites and Cllr Ellis said there will be alternative suggestions.

He said: "We need to see where a new leisure centre can go, how much will it cost and what negatives are there?

"Off the top of my head there are brownfield sites down Elgin Industrial way that could be considered."

The huge empty site opposite Pitreavie playing fields, on the other side of Queensferry Road, was also mentioned and he acknowledged: "That could work too and would tie in with the new western distribution road to the villages and the new housing developments as it has to serve West Fife too."

One of the big drivers for change is the squeeze on swimming capacity at the Carnegie and the need to balance time for lessons, swimming clubs and public swimming.

Cllr James Calder said: "We're losing the pool at Woodmill, it's not being replaced, and there's a question over the pool in the community-use wing at Inverkeithing High.

"A pool is not in the plans for the new high school in Rosyth so it's whether they keep the wing and refurbish it or build another, separate centre near the school.

"There are discussions going on in the background about what to do there. I'm keen to see a facility there as capacity is a big issue."

To ascertain what the Dunfermline public want, Cllr Ellis said he'll organise a summit to bring together the clubs and locals that use Carnegie Leisure Centre, and ask what our future sports and leisure provision should look like.

He added: "It doesn't really matter what you do with the Carnegie.

"It's a lovely grade B listed building but it's just not suitable now for the purposes of a growing city.

"This is beyond party politics and I'm glad councillors have come together to back the call for a new leisure centre."