A NEW leisure centre for "the fastest growing population in the UK" must be part of the conversation when discussing what kind of city Dunfermline wants to be.

That's the view of SNP councillor Derek Glen who hopes Fife Council will support the ambitious plans before discussions on how it can happen take place at a conference next month.

He's on the City of Dunfermline area committee that put up £150,000 to help pay for a summit on June 27 to outline how we can "capitalise" on city status – and with much more input from young people.

At the same meeting councillors asked the council's cabinet committee to commission a feasibility study for a new leisure centre, with the school sites of St Columba's and Woodmill put forward as a possible site when they move next year.

Cllr Glen told the Press: "As a city, and with the fastest growing population in the UK, Dunfermline should be aiming to develop new and improved leisure facilities.

"In fact, that was the motivation behind Cllr (Auxi) Barrera’s amendment which sought to include improvements to Carnegie Leisure Centre alongside investigating a new centre – so that we don’t just end up replacing like for like, but increase our provision.

"I’ve been pushing for the council to establish an action plan to capitalise on city status, and it’s been (Dunfermline MSP) Shirley-Anne Somerville who has taken the initiative organising two city summits in the last two months to bring together the administration with council officers and local groups to start setting out the roadmap.

"It’s great that as an area committee, we have been able to agree funding for the city status conference in June, and an events strategy.

"But it’s really important that these take into account all the existing plans into which so much work has gone, including the Design Dunfermline Plan, the Dunfermline Greenspace Strategy, the Pittencrieff Ambitions Project and the youth-led Dunfermline Placemaking Plan."

The conference will cover the broader aims of "setting out a vision" for Dunfermline, adding key resources to make a new city plan happen and deliver a "high quality, footfall generating" events strategy for the year.

But Cllr Glen said that should only be the beginning.

He explained: "I’m not sure whether a one-day conference on its own will necessarily be the most effective way of building a city vision.

"I’ve called for a city status steering group to be set up which can draw together all parts of our community – for instance it is plain that more involvement from young people is needed.

"In terms of that vision and how we badge ourselves I’m particularly taken with ‘City of Wellbeing’

"I think this will help us harness and play a leading role in Scotland’s direction of travel towards a wellbeing economy, whilst also resonating with our considerable history, heritage and greenspace strengths."