The South and West Fife Area Committee met at Inverkeithing Civic Centre on Wednesday (21 June) to hear updates and make decisions on a range of local matters.

Community safety

Members heard community safety reports from Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Fife Council’s Safer Communities team. Highlights include:

• During 2022/23, the Safer Communities team investigated 122 cases of antisocial behaviour, responded to 318 pest control requests, received 1013 environmental enforcement requests for service and carried out over 1100 patrols in the South and West Fife area.
• Local policing activities in the South and West Fife area included responding to anti-social behaviour and vandalism on the Blairhall bus route alongside the Safer Communities team. Patrols and educational talks helped towards a reduction in antisocial behaviour and prevented a reduction in bus service to the local community. Other high visibility patrols included Rosyth’s primary school buildings and a disused paper mill in Inverkeithing.
• A partner agency group to tackle antisocial behaviour has continued to grow and a Community, Learning & Development focus group is now working to identify land that could be used by Kingdom Off Road to help address off road bikes in public places.
• In the last financial year Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has seen a 30% increase in accidental dwelling fires and the number of deliberate primary fires increase from 17 to 22.
• Road traffic collisions also increased from 19 to 23 with no fatal casualties and the number of non-fatal casualties remaining at 12.
• 274 home visits were carried out by the service to install detection systems and give householders vital safety advice.

Cllr David Barratt, Convener of the South and West Fife Area Committee said: “It’s clear from these reports how important the good partnership working is in achieving positive local outcomes. As a committee we’d like to thank everyone involved in helping to improve our local environment, make people feel safer and reduce crime.”

Community learning and development

A report updating members on the work of the Community Learning and Development Partnership over the last year was also presented.

After a challenging year post-pandemic, the partnership continued to support and develop local learning opportunities through a varied programme of support for young people, adults and families.

This included:

• Popular weekly junior youth clubs (P4&5) in High Valleyfield, Blairhall, Oakley, Kincardine, Camdean and North Queensferry. Intermediate weekly youth clubs (P6&7) in High Valleyfield, Oakley, Blairhall, Cairneyhill and Camdean. Weekly senior youth clubs (for S1+) in High Valleyfield, Kincardine, Camdean and North Queensferry.
• Employability programmes helping 38 local young people between the ages of 16 and 24 into positive destinations including college, paid work and work experience.
• A revised action plan for adult learning to include a REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene course and Defibrillator Awareness session as well as the range already on offer.
• 26 learners moving into employment, 15 into volunteering opportunities and 32 on to further learning at Fife College.
• A weekly family programme of outdoor play for pre-school children in Blairhall and a project with women living in the local area that explored wellbeing through involvement in the arts.
• Ongoing welfare support to local people in financial hardship including benefit advice, grant applications, access to internet enabled devices, emergency gas and electricity top-ups, supermarket and food bank vouchers. Two additional Welfare Support Workers have also been appointed following the committee agreement in January to allocate Community Recovery Funding for these posts.
• Job clubs in Oakley, High Valleyfield, Rosyth, Inverkeithing and Kincardine.
• Café Inc. at a range of local venues offering free lunches and play activities during school holidays as well as wider support to a range of community food providers.

Cllr David Barratt, Convener of the Committee said: “The cost-of-living crisis has obviously increased the amount of welfare support work that’s required in the area and teams have mobilised resources to do that.

“A good range of core community learning and development work is happening across South and West Fife, but often also responding in some really innovative ways to the needs of local communities and their residents.

“I can’t overstate the positive local impact these activities can have on neighbourhoods by helping to build skills and confidence, creating a sense of belonging and encouraging people to become more active citizens and part of influential communities. It’s great to hear the committee commend the achievements of the last year.”