Community rallies to Craigtoun’s call

It was once seen as a jewel in Fife’s crown of stunning visitor attractions, and the scene of many unforgettable school trips for generations of youngsters, but is now only a shadow of its former self after years of neglect.

Now, however, there is fresh hope that the long-term future of Craigtoun Park on the edge of St Andrews can be secured after a public meeting agreed to set up a trust to manage the 41-acre park.

St Andrews Community Council chairman Kyffin Roberts said he was ”delighted” with the turnout of around 50 people at a public meeting in St Andrews Burgh Chambers on Wednesday night.

”Positive energy and enthusiasm was in great abundance!” he said of the meeting hosted by St Andrews Community Council.

However, he has now appealed to residents from St Andrews and the wider Fife/Tayside area to give their backing by supporting the trust and looking at ways that an action plan can move forward.

Mr Roberts said there had been growing concern in recent years about the increasingly dilapidated state of Craigtoun Park. In particular, the once impressive Dutch Village had been closed and fallen into disrepair, whilst the boating pond was now thick with green algae and littered with bottles.

”Basically Fife Council has made it clear it wants to wash its hands of the park on grounds of cost. They will continue to fund it this year and possibly next, but they can’t guarantee anything after that,” he said.

”As Fife Council seeks to place more facilities on a trust basis, it seems certain that the only way to protect the future of Craigtoun Park is to establish a trust that will work closely with the local authority to make the best use of limited resources and get more for less wherever possible.”

Mr Roberts said it was hoped the Craigtoun Community Trust will eventually take responsibility for the maintenance and development of the park and will seek funding for its refurbishment and devise a business plan that will ensure it achieves financial sustainability.

However, this would only work with the support of individuals, clubs and businesses.

Mr Roberts added: ”What we decided on Wednesday night was to set up a Friends of Craigtoun Group and from that we will have a management committee core group. The main purpose of that will be to set up a trust.

”The idea is that the Friends of Craigtoun Park group will become a pool of resources consisting of interested individuals who have relevant knowledge and experience to help set up the trust and possibly become trustees in the future.”

Mr Roberts said it was thought that the bare running costs could be £300,000 per annum with estimated repair bills of £4 million.

Last year St Andrews and Cameron community councils were involved in exploratory discussions with Fife Council with a view to take over the running of the park, but after careful consideration the latter concluded that operating it as a charitable trust run by volunteers would not be a viable option and abandoned the idea.

However, Mr Roberts said St Andrews Community Council had decided it would not give up the fight to save the park.

Fife Council area service manager Kate Hughes said: ”Craigtoun will continue to be operated as a free-to-enter public park for the forseeable time. The council has committed funding to the park for at least another 12 months and we’re in the process of preparing a tender for the management of operations including catering, the train, boats and putting with the intention that these services will be provided by the private sector this summer.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about the trust should contact Kyffin Roberts at kyffinroberts@hotmail.com