This Monday morning just five days after residents were notified of upcoming tree felling on Methilhaven Road, Fife Council Vans appeared ready to begin work. 

However, at the last gasp they were stopped - all thanks to the spectacular response from our truly amazing community signing over 500 signatures on this petition!

We originally hoped for 60!

Fife Council Officers have now agreed to slightly amend their design in order that we can retain the four largest mature trees along the section between Toll Bar Roundabout and the Fire Station but will still need to fell several of the smaller trees which have been marked with white crosses. 

Whilst losing any trees is a negative for the environment, we welcome this compromise which will still accommodate the new walking, wheeling and cycling path while retaining some of the character and environmental qualities of the area and hope replacement planting will be agreed.

However, we are still to see proper detailed plans for the Levenmouth Connectivity Project Active Travel Network in Methil and Buckhaven. With no detailed information people living here still do not know what this development will mean for Methilhaven Road or Wellesley Road, where we have many more precious urban trees. We desperately need reassurance these trees will be safeguarded in upcoming proposals. 

We have asked Fife Council Officers to review the rest of their ATN proposals for Methil and Buckhaven and to consider our communities concerns and our beloved town trees. We have asked Fife Council to make available detailed plans of these proposals before work starts and give our community time and opportunity to comment on them. Lastly, we have asked for proper well considered replacement tree planting in places where the community want and need them through proper engagement with local groups.

These further commitments have not yet been agreed to formally, but Fife Council have noted they will take on board our feedback on these environmental considerations and consultation going forward. 

Through our petition many residents have questioned why a new route of this scale, 5m wide, is needed at all at the expense of our trees and amenity spaces. We have received many comments from residents questioning why existing roads, paths, cycle ways and parking cannot be upgraded and repaired  as part of this project. This question remains largely unanswered. 

However we think Fife Council's decision is a positive move forward at this stage - so thank-you to everyone who signed this petition, you have made a difference! 

There are still many questions left unanswered, so until then we will keep this petition open and will keep you posted with how things progress!