🧭 How Should Fife Council Spend Its Money?

Good morning, Fifers! Thanks to everyone who filled out our survey in Tuesday’s newsletter, we’ll be going through all the results today to give you an idea of what changes the community wants to see.

Here’s what’s coming your way today:

• Fife Insider Survey Results

• 20 Events to See This Weekend

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

— Duncan

LOCAL HEADLINES YOU NEED TO KNOW

• 🏫 Fife Council has approved updated guidance to promote positive relationships and tackle bullying in schools, strengthening trauma-informed practice, anti-bullying measures, and consistent behaviour standards across all Fife schools following consultation with pupils, parents, and staff.

• 🔥 A 17-year-old boy has been charged in connection with ten deliberate fires across Fife, including three in Dysart and seven in Kirkcaldy, reported between November 4th and January 4th.

• 🚧 Overnight resurfacing work on the northbound M90 between Junctions 1B (Ferrytoll) and 1C (Admiralty) will take place from January 14th to February 6th, with full carriageway closures from 8pm-6am, Monday to Friday. Diversions will be in place, adding 5–7 minutes to journeys

• 🏒 Fife Flyers captain Gareth Hunt has been handed a six-game suspension by the Elite League’s Department of Player Safety after delivering a “sucker punch” during Sunday’s 5-4 home defeat to Manchester Storm.

• 🏛️ The University of St Andrews has secured £950,000 from Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund to carry out conservation-led upgrades at the historic New College building to improve energy efficiency through fabric-first measures.

• 🛝 The newly refurbished Quarry Park play area in Leslie has officially opened following a £230,000 investment, delivering an inclusive, modern space with state-of-the-art equipment.

• ⚓ Burntisland Harbour Access Trust has received a funding boost from the town’s Big Green Market, which will match donations up to £1,000 to help the campaign group challenge fenced-off areas of the harbour. You can donate here.

• 🚗 Maintenance work at Ferrytoll Park and Ride will temporarily close 30 disabled parking bays from January 26th for around three weeks. Fife Council says alternative disabled spaces will be available and asks users to move vehicles from affected bays by 6pm on January 25th.

• 🏫 Kirkton of Largo Primary School in Fife, which has been mothballed since June 2023, will not reopen following a formal decision by councillors. The school’s future use will be considered through local consultation.

• 🎶 KT Tunstall returned to her Fife roots on BBC2’s Weekend Escapes, joining Robson Green to explore East Neuk beaches and reminisce about childhood days on Elie beach. Watch the episode on iPlayer.

• 🏘️ Omnivale Ltd and Strawson Holdings have submitted plans for 157 new homes south of Lochgelly. The proposals form part of the Lochgelly Strategic Land Allocation, which could eventually see more than 2,500 homes built across 430 acres.

• 💷 Last chance to have your say on council spending with the consultation on budget priorities and service provision closing on January 11th. Feedback will help shape spending plans, council tax decisions, and service priorities beyond 2026-27. Complete the survey here.

FEATURE OF THE WEEK

🗳️ Thanks For The Feedback!

In Tuesday’s issue, I asked for your say on how Fife Insider could be improved, and the response has been great. Over 80 of you responded, providing lots of great insight into what you enjoy about the Fife Insider and what you’d potentially like to see added. I’m going to dive into all this a bit more now, but don’t worry if you missed it and would like to have your input; the survey is still open here.

1. How satisfied are you with the current balance of content in Fife Insider? 90% of you said you were satisfied or very satisfied with the content balance.

2. Which sections do you find most valuable? Three sections were the clear winners here: Event listings at #1, local headlines at #2, and top story/feature articles at #3.

3. Are there any topics or types of content you'd like to see more of? Respondents highlighted they’d like to see more on new business openings, planning applications, and local politics.

4. How do you feel about the current newsletter frequency? Over 80% of you said you were happy with the current frequency of emails.

5. Would you use a Fife job board featuring local opportunities? 41% said they would not be interested in this, with 31% saying they would use it regularly or occasionally.

6. Would you find a Fife business directory useful for discovering local services and shops? This proved very popular, with 85% saying they would find it useful.

7. If we introduced a business directory, how would you prefer to access it? The most popular option was a separate webpage, with 63% selecting this.

8. What types of businesses would you most want to find in a directory? Respondents want to see Home Services, Eateries, Entertainment, and Retail businesses featured.

9. What would make you consider joining Fife Insider+? The biggest demand was for local discounts, exclusive local stories, and the opportunity to support local journalism.

10. What pricing structure for Fife Insider+ do you think is best? Most respondents thought the current price of £3/month when bought annually was fair, but there was also strong demand for a lower Supporter tier at £1/month that simply supports the newsletter with no extra benefits.

Thanks again for all the responses; it’s been super useful, and I’ve already been working behind the scenes on a few changes. In this issue, I have tried to expand the headlines section since this is one of the most popular sections, and I am considering the best ways of implementing more information about new business openings and planning applications going forward.

I have also been working on a business directory that is now in the testing phase. If you have a Fife business and want to list your business early, please fill in this form, and I’ll send you more details on how to get involved.

Finally, for the premium subscription options, I mostly see this as a way for people to show their support for the newsletter with a few extra perks for Fife Insider+ members, such as ad-free newsletters and an extended event outlook email, as they are the backbone that keeps this project running. If you’d like to join them, our January discount for annual subscribers is still running and works out as £2/month.

With that said, I have also decided to launch a “Supporter” tier at £1/month as the popularity of this option was hard to ignore. This new tier is simply a way for people who aren’t interested in the extra perks of a Fife Insider+ membership to show their support for the newsletter. I’m interested to see if this proves popular, or not, in practice. Thanks in advance to anyone who decides to show support in this way.

@THEFIFEINSIDER

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WHAT’S ON IN FIFE?

Please remember to double-check details with venues before travelling, as events can occasionally be cancelled or rescheduled at short notice, and some will require prebooked tickets.

📅 Friday, 9th January

Creative Craft Club For Adults - Come and enjoy a regular Friday morning of creativity.
📁 Art | 🕢 10am | 📍 Letham Village Hall | 🎟️ £15

Global Dance Open Scotland Qualifier - An exciting dance competition for all inspiring dancers looking to represent Scotland at the GDO Finals in Spain.
📁 Stage | 🕢 11am | 📍 Rothes Halls, Glenrothes | 🎟️ £25+

Oor Wee Mammy McGoose - The Best Wee Panto in Scotland returns with a Brand Spanking New Production.
📁 Panto | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 King's Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £14+

📅 Saturday, 10th January

Global Dance Open Scotland Qualifier - An exciting dance competition for all inspiring dancers looking to represent Scotland at the GDO Finals in Spain.
📁 Stage | 🕢 8:30am | 📍 Rothes Halls, Glenrothes | 🎟️ £25+

Hedge Laying Course - Join us on Balcaskie Estate to learn the specialist craft of hedge laying with Angus Boundaries.
📁 Course | 🕢 9:30am | 📍 Balcaskie Estate | 🎟️ £119.83

VISION Board 2026: Create Your New Year Pathway - Heart-opening workshop helping women step into their magic, awaken their imagination, and create the life they desire.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 10am | 📍 Adam Smith Heritage Centre | 🎟️ £15

Legends of the Leven: A Free Guided Heritage Walk - Free guided walk exploring Levenmouth’s history, wildlife and hidden gems.
📁 Tour | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Cameron Bridge Station | 🎟️ Free

Cults Ridge Walk - Learn about the natural legacy left behind from historic lime works, its wildlife and special trees during our winter walk.
📁 Tour | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Cults Hill Parking, Cupar | 🎟️ Free

Legends of the Leven - Step back 5,000 years! Join us for a free guided walk exploring Levenmouth’s history, wildlife and hidden gems.
📁 Tour | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Cameron Bridge Station, Windygates | 🎟️ Free

Kinghorn to Burntisland: Fife Coastal Path Walk - Join us in the coastal village of Kinghorn, where we will walk along to Pettycur Bay.
📁 Tour | 🕢 11:30am | 📍 Harbour View Car Park, Kinghorn | 🎟️ Free

Oor Wee Mammy McGoose - The Best Wee Panto in Scotland returns with a Brand Spanking New Production.
📁 Panto | 🕢 2:30pm & 7pm | 📍 King's Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £14+

The PJs Showcase - Live performances from Mosaics, The Urban, Fons Scotia, and Ariennas.
📁 Music | 🕢 7pm | 📍 PJ Molloys, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £10

Forgan's St Andrews Ceilidh - Head to Forgan’s and experience one of our unforgettable ceilidhs.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 10:30pm | 📍 Forgan's St Andrews | 🎟️ Free

📅 Sunday, 11th January

Global Dance Open Scotland Qualifier - An exciting dance competition for all inspiring dancers looking to represent Scotland at the GDO Finals in Spain.
📁 Stage | 🕢 9am | 📍 Rothes Halls, Glenrothes | 🎟️ £25+

Mindful Sunday Mornings - An opportunity for a mindful moment with art journaling and relaxed craft opportunities for adults.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 10am | 📍 R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ £5

📅 Monday, 12th January

No events.

🎉 Multi-Day Events & Exhibitions

Jack Vettriano Exhibition 2025 - Collection of Jack Vettriano prints, including rare and sold-out pieces.
📅 Tue, 4th March - Tue, 13th January | 🕢 10am | 📍 Affordable Arts, Methil | 🎟️ Free

From These Parts: Scotland, Art and Identity - Special preview evening filled with live music, drinks, and creative activities.
📅 Sat, 18th October - Sun, 15th February | 🕢 10am | 📍 Wardlaw Museum | 🎟️ Free

Paul McGinty: Beneath The Surface - This body of work represents elements of Paul McGinty's ongoing research into the history of the Coal Mining Industry in Fife.
📅 Thu, 8th January - Fri, 27th February | 🕢 10am-4pm (Thu & Fri) | 📍 Adam Smith Heritage Centre | 🎟️ Free

Unveiling the Madonna - Discover the story behind the Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist, the oldest painting in our art collection.
📅 Sat, 8th November - Sat, 7th March | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 St Andrews Museum | 🎟️ Free

Bunker Shots: Stories of Golf and Conflict - Surprising connections between golf and conflict, including the impact on golfers and their equipment.
📅 Fri, 18th April - Tue, 31st March | 🕢 9:15am | 📍 The R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ £17.50

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THANKS FOR READING

Thanks for reading Fife Insider today. If you found something useful, please share it with a friend in Fife.

Cheers,

Duncan