MARWICK SPEAKS UP FOR GLENROTHES.

MARWICK SPEAKS UP FOR GLENROTHES.

Tricia Marwick MSP for Central Fife, which includes Glenrothes, has today expressed her regret that Glenrothes town centre has been awarded the Carbuncle Award.

Mrs Marwick commented:

“I am sick to death of people doing down Glenrothes. There is no mention of the fact that Glenrothes received the coveted Rosebowl Trophy for the most clean, sustainable and beautiful community in Scotland at the Beautiful Scotland Awards in September last year or that our town has many other attractions worth celebrating.

“It is also a bit rich that this award has been made by architects when it is architects that are wholly responsible for the Glenrothes new town.

“I fully agree that we need more civic space in Glenrothes. However the problem, as we all know, is that the Kingdom Shopping Centre and the area surrounding it is privately owned thanks to the decisions taken by previous Glenrothes Development Corporation and Labour Fife Council administrations.

“This has left us with virtually no civic space and a town centre that is surrounded by roads. However, the Kingdom Centre itself is warm, welcoming, disabled friendly and is a safe place for the people of Glenrothes to shop.

"Yesterday's Scottish budget included £60 million for town centre regeneration - I would have hoped to secure some of that funding for Glenrothes - however following Labour's decision to block the budget that money is now in danger.

“I have no doubt that much needs done in Glenrothes and I have campaigned for many years for improvements to take place and I will continue to do so.

"But I do resent residents within Glenrothes and those out with the town combining to talk down Glenrothes and, by association, the people who live here. I am simply not prepared to accept this.”