DUNFERMLINE and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman has called for dis-used coal mines in the region to be used to help generate heat for homes and small businesses across the Kingdom.

The politician made the call following the publication of a wide-ranging report on the “Next Steps in Levelling Up the Former Coalfields’ commissioned by the APPG on Coalfield Communities.

With areas in Fife and neighbouring Clackmannan losing out when the pits closed, the report makes recommendations to revive their fortunes and see them “level-up” with a call for additional government funding to boost their futures.

Alex Davies-Jones MP, Chair of the APPG, said: "This report is a milestone in our efforts to level up the former coalfields. We are delighted to have received such a wealth of evidence from stakeholders across the country and are confident that our proposals offer a vision for the next steps needed to rebuild our communities.

“We welcome the Government’s commitment to ‘Levelling Up’. This now needs to be matched by actions based on our report’s recommendations.”

Douglas Chapman, who is vice chair of the committee, said the publication was an important report with "pragmatic and wide-reaching" recommendations gathered from the very heart of the coalfield communities.

"I have raised the need, time and time again, to use heat from former pits to heat homes across the Scottish midland layer," he said. " I was particularly delighted to see such a strong interest in geothermal and mine water heat as I have been exploring the potential for this low carbon energy as a way of tackling fuel poverty in my own constituency and to advance our renewables ambitions.

“The emphasis in the report on improving connectivity chimes with growing interest in reopening the West Fife Rail Link and my work on reinstating the ferry link from Rosyth to Europe to boost local economies, bringing in new employment opportunities and supporting growth and resilience for businesses.

“I echo the Chair’s call to the UK Government to deliver on their ‘Levelling Up’ commitments by enacting the recommendations in this excellent report and thus redressing the balance on opportunity and prosperity that has been out of kilter for far too long for our coalfield communities.”