🏡 217 New Homes Coming to Crossford!

Good morning, Fifers! Spring is officially here, and with it, we’re hoping for a bit more sunshine. Either way, we’ve got another action-packed roundup for you.

Here’s what’s coming your way:

• 🏡 New build controversy across Fife

• ⚡ Green light for a cutting-edge battery storage plant

• 🌊 Burntisland's aquatic fun is making a comeback

Let’s jump in, there’s plenty to talk about!

— Duncan

WEATHER

Things are starting to heat up, with temperatures set to reach highs of 13°C. Here's the forecast:

Tuesday: 9 🌡️ 8 | ☁️

Wednesday: 11 🌡️ 6 | 🌧️

Thursday: 13 🌡️ 8 | 🌤️

Friday: 12 🌡️ 6 | 🌧️

TOP STORIES AROUND THE KINGDOM

⚡ Fife Council Supports Battery Energy Storage Plans in Kincardine

A 342-megawatt battery energy storage facility is set to be built on the former Kincardine Power Station site, pending final approval from the Scottish Government. Fife Council has backed the proposal by Gresham House Devco Pipeline Ltd, which aims to store excess energy from renewable sources like wind and solar. The 10-hectare site, located between the Kincardine and Clackmannanshire bridges, has remained vacant since the demolition of the coal-fired power station in 2001.

The development will feature battery units, substations, transformers, CCTV security, and flood-resistant steel platforms to ensure reliability. This project is expected to stabilize energy supply, reducing reliance on fossil fuels while supporting Scotland’s renewable energy goals.

🏡 Fife Council Approves Barratt Homes Development in Crossford

Fife Council has approved Barratt Homes’ plan to build 217 new homes west of Crossford, despite local objections. The development, named Sycamore Gardens, will be located on a 15-hectare site between Crossford and Cairneyhill.

🚗 Access: A994 Cairneyhill Road (main) & Douglas Drive (secondary)
🏠 Housing Mix: 54 affordable homes, a mix of terraced, semi-detached, and detached houses
📈 Impact: Expected to increase Crossford’s population by 25%

While some residents raised concerns about flooding, traffic, and infrastructure strain, council planners stated that drainage solutions, road safety measures, and financial contributions for public spaces are in place. Preliminary work has begun, and Barratt plans to launch the development this summer.

LOCAL HEADLINES YOU NEED TO KNOW

• 🚗 Seasonal parking restrictions are now in effect in Culross until October 31. Vehicles cannot park in the Sandhaven area from 9am to 6pm due to increased traffic from Outlander tourism. The measure aims to prevent congestion and protect village streets.

• 📚 Over 1,700 children from 25 Fife schools will join a virtual World Book Day event with author Greg Stobbs on March 6. He will read from Cloud Boy, a story about a neurodivergent child and the power of creativity. The event includes a Q&A, inspiring young readers to embrace different ways of thinking.

• 🏫Kings Road Primary School and its nursery are closed today (March 3) due to a boiler failure. Fife Council is working on the issue and will provide an update later today regarding reopening.

• 🩺 NHS Fife, charity With You, and local pharmacies are working together to reduce drug-related deaths by providing emergency naloxone kits. All 86 community pharmacies in Fife now offer naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses, with over 60 also providing overdose awareness training.

• 🏡 Avant Homes will build 256 homes at Keelyside View, with work starting in July. The project includes 64 affordable homes, infrastructure upgrades, and a new bridge over Rushy End Burn.

• 🚨 A man's body was found in the River Forth near The Point in Burntisland on Monday morning. Police are treating the death as "unexplained" but not suspicious. His next of kin have been informed.

• 🏫 St Andrews University will demolish its New Technology Centre in early Q3 2025 to make way for The Digital Nexus, a new facility for the School of Computer Science and other departments. The project is part of a broader redevelopment of the North Haugh campus.

• 💰 Lochgelly Bowling Club, a 128-year-old Fife institution, faces closure unless it raises £5,000 in urgent funds. The club is struggling with rising costs and fewer members. Community support is needed to keep it open.

• 🚚 Royal Mail plans to close Anstruther's delivery office, requiring East Neuk residents to travel to Leven for parcel collections, about 13 miles away. Concerns have been raised for staff and service availability. No closure date has been set yet.

• 🏆 Six Fife businesses celebrated big wins at the Scottish Wedding Awards 2025! Mirka Bridal Couture, Lynne’s Cake Emporium, and The McYoungs were among the top winners, while Klauddi Beauty and Cambo Estate were highly commended. Congratulations to all the awardees!

AROUND FIFE

Each week, we highlight interesting places, hidden gems, and local experiences to explore.

🌊 Splashpad Set to Return to Burntisland Links

After months of campaigning, Burntisland’s popular Splashpad is set to return. Fife Council had initially proposed replacing it with a dry play facility, but local advocates, including David Torrance, MSP, Cllrs McDougall and Backhouse, and the Royal Burgh of Burntisland Community Council, pushed for a more affordable replacement. The new Splashpad will be similar to the one that served the community before its closure in 1999. While funding is still being organized, the return of the Splashpad is a win for local residents and families.

🌱 Crail Seeks Volunteers to Plant 10,000 Trees

Crail is recruiting volunteers to help plant 10,000 trees as part of a project to restore local natural areas. The initiative, led by the Crail Community Partnership, aims to connect nature sites with wooded walkways. After successfully planting 2,500 trees in 2022, the next session will start at Kilminning Nature Reserve on March 15-16. Volunteers will help plant native trees like Scots pine and oak. The project is funded through crowdfunding and donations.

@THEFIFEINSIDER

📍 Picture by Pastelliacera | Location: Pittenweem

📸 Share your photos of Fife with us! Tag @thefifeinsider and you could be featured in the next edition.

WHAT’S ON IN FIFE?

✨ Spotlight Event

🎶 Live Music & Concerts

📍 Fife Schools’ String Orchestra & Fife Schools’ Wind Band Annual Concert – A concert showcasing the talented young musicians of Fife, featuring the Fife Schools' Wind Band and String Orchestra.
📅 Tue, 4th March | 🕖 7:00pm | 📍 Rothes Halls, Glenrothes | 🎟️ Adults £6 / £4

📍 The Fureys – Legends of Irish music & song, The Fureys, perform their FINAL SHOW featuring hits like ‘I Will Love You’ and ‘When You Were Sweet 16’.
📅 Wed, 5th March | 🕖 7:30pm | 📍 Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £26

📍 West My Friend at Lindores Abbey Distillery – Cascadian folk duo bringing intricate harmonies and evocative storytelling.
📅 Thu, 6th March | 🕖 6:00pm | 📍 Lindores Abbey Distillery, Newburgh | 🎟️ £16.96

📍 Simple Minded & Deacon Blues – Tribute night with the best hits from Simple Minds & Deacon Blue!
📅 Fri, 7th March | 🕖 7:00pm | 📍 PJ Molloys, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £16

📍 The Columbos - Soul Band – Fife's finest Soul band playing classic hits from the 60s!
📅 Fri, 7th March | 🕖 7:00pm | 📍 Fire Station Creative, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £11.55

📍 Burn The Maps – A live music event featuring Burn The Maps, Break The Embargo, and 13 Tombs at The King's in Kirkcaldy.
📅 Fri, 7th March | 🕖 7:30pm | 📍 The King's, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £8

📍 Graeme Saxton with Donnie Mcleod Acoustic Night – Enjoy an intimate night of acoustic music with talented songwriters Graeme Saxton and Donnie Mcleod!
📅 Fri, 7th March | 🕣 8:30pm | 📍 The Harbour Bar, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ Free

🎭 Theatre & Stage

📍 Wyrd Sisters – St Leonards School's talented pupils perform Terry Pratchett's comedic play, Wyrd Sisters, at the Byre Theatre.
📅 Wed, 5th - Fri, 7th March 2025 | 🕖 7:30pm | 📍 The Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £12.00 / £10.00 / £8.00

📍 Kirkcaldy Gilbert & Sullivan Society presents: Ruddigore – A cursed family, a fishing village, and dark twists!
📅 Thu, 6th - Sat, 8th March | 🕖 Various times | 📍 Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟£8 to £20

🍫 Charlie & the Chocolate Factory: The Musical – A magical journey with Charlie and Willy Wonka!
📅 Fri, 7th - Sat, 8th March | 🕖 Various times | 📍 Lochgelly Centre | 🎟️ £18 / £16

🎬 Entertainment

📍 St Andrews Memories – Join a relaxed, welcoming session at The R&A World Golf Museum to chat about the town's history over tea and coffee!
📅 Tue, 4th March | 🕑 2:00pm | 📍 The R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ Free

📍 OnFife Collections Centre - Behind the Scenes Tour – Explore 250,000 objects and documents of Fife’s heritage and art.
📅 Wed, 5th March | 🕖 10:30am | 📍 Fife Council, Glenrothes | 🎟️ Free

📍 Show and Tell: How Before and After Coal Was Made – A discussion on capturing the stories of Fife’s mining communities with artist Nicky Bird and outreach co-ordinator Robin Baillie.
📅 Wed, 5th March | 🕖 2:00pm | 📍 Kirkcaldy Galleries, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ Free

📍 Creative Conversations – KC Manufacturing – Join Nina and Adam from KC Manufacturing (formerly Kalopsia) for an inspiring talk on sustainable textiles and circular design.
📅 Wed, 5th March | 🕕 6:00pm | 📍 Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £1 / £3 / £5

📍 Anna Wells: Snowstorms and Summit Selfies – Join Anna Wells, the first woman to complete a 'Winter Munro Round', as she shares the highs and lows of her epic adventure!
📅 Wed, 5th March | 🕖 7:00pm | 📍 Dunfermline High School, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £15

📍 Leonor Will Never Die – A film where reality and fiction blur as a retired filmmaker becomes the hero of her own script.
📅 Thu, 6th March | 🕙 10:30am | 📍 The Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £8 / £6

📍 PWR Pro Live - All on the Line – Family-friendly wrestling with top UK talent at Truth Nightclub!
📅 Thu, 6th March | 🕕 6:00pm | 📍 Truth Nightclub, Leven | 🎟️ £11.49

📍 Mr Tait’s Whale and Other Aquatic Tales – A fresh story about Kirkcaldy's celebrated whale from 1869, told by librarian Kerry Briers!
📅 Thu, 6th March | 🕖 7:00pm | 📍 Markinch Heritage Group, Markinch | 🎟️ £2

📍 Scottish Team Racing Championships 2025 – Join the thrilling Scottish Student Sailing Team Racing Championships at Lochore Meadows!
📅 Fri, 7th March - Sun, 9th March | 🕖 8:00am | 📍 Lochore Meadows, Crosshill | 🎟️ Free

📍 Bouncing Bingo – Fun-filled bingo night with dancing, prizes, and a DJ, all in aid of the Scottish Cot Death Trust!
📅 Fri, 7th March | 🕖 8:00pm | 📍 The Windsor Hotel, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £15

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family & Kids

📍 World Book Day Stories and Crafts at Windmill Library – Celebrate World Book Day with a fun Pokemon-themed stories and crafts event.
📅 Wed, 5th March | 🕒 3:30pm | 📍 Windmill Library, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ Free

🥗 Food & Drink

🎨 Art

📍 Jack Vettriano Exhibition 2025 – A stunning collection of Jack Vettriano prints, including rare and sold-out pieces, at Affordable Arts!
📅 Tue, 4th Mar - Tue, 28th October | 🕙 10:00am - 4:00pm | 📍 Affordable Arts, Methil | 🎟️ Free

📍 Jane McCurley Howie ‘The Cloud Collection’ – A spiritual art exhibition featuring Jane McCurley Howie’s intricate gel pen artwork, telling stories of beauty, resilience, and love.
📅 Wed, 5th March - Sat, 10th May | 🕖 Various times | 📍 Lochgelly Centre, Lochgelly | 🎟️ Free

📍 International Women’s Day at Methil – A series of workshops celebrating International Women’s Day, including creative writing, art, yoga, life drawing, and more.
📅 Wed, 5th - Sat, 8th March | 🕖 Various times | 📍 Methil Heritage Centre, Methil | 🎟️ Free

SPORTS

Fixtures

⚽ Livingston vs Raith Rovers
📅 Wed, 5 March | 🕒 17:45 | 🏆 Championship

🏒 Fife Flyers vs Cardiff Devils
📅 Wed, 5 March | 🕒 19:30 | 🏆 Elite Ice Hockey League

Results

⚽ Dunfermline Athletic 2-1 Greenock Morton
📅 Sat, 1 March | 🕒 15:00 | 🏆 Championship

⚽ Queen of the South 0-0 Kelty Hearts
📅 Sat, 1 March | 🕒 15:00 | 🏆 League 1

⚽ Raith Rovers 0-4 Queen’s Park
📅 Sat, 1 March | 🕒 15:00 | 🏆 Championship

⚽ Stirling Albion 1-0 East Fife
📅 Sat, 1 March | 🕒 15:00 | 🏆 League 2

🏉 Kirkcaldy 25-46 Berwick
📅 Sat, 1 March | 🕒 15:00 | 🏆 National League Division 2

🏒 Cardiff Devils 6-0 Fife Flyers
📅 Sat, 1 March | 🕒 19:00 | 🏆 Elite Ice Hockey League

🏒 Fife Flyers 1-4 Nottingham Panthers
📅 Sun, 2 March | 🕒 17:15 | 🏆 Elite Ice Hockey League

THANKS FOR READING

Hope you enjoyed this week's update! If you have anything you'd like to see covered next week, just let me know.

Cheers,

Duncan

Got an event or news you want to feature? Or perhaps you’d like to promote your business to readers in Fife? Get in touch with us at [email protected] - let’s make it happen!